


The North Pole

by tsubasa_1742



Category: Frozen (2013), Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Burlesque Club, Alternate Universe - Moulin Rouge! Fusion, Attempt at Humor, Burlesque, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Feelings, Feels, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Music, Resistance, Romance, Sad, Slow Burn, Some Humor, Tragedy, Tragic Romance, Translation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-24
Updated: 2015-02-24
Packaged: 2018-03-08 22:48:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 31,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3226364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tsubasa_1742/pseuds/tsubasa_1742
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU Based off of the 2001 film the Moulin Rouge. After the loss of her family, Elsa finds herself homeless. She is taken in by North and becomes a burlesque dancer at The North Pole. On the other side of that coin, Jack has also lost his own family and is taken in after his own time on the streets by Kristoff and his extended family. Pitch, a wealthy businessman, comes along and is eager to pay for the renovations to turn The North Pole into a dance studio for Elsa, but at what cost? By a curious happenstance, Jack is mistaken for Pitch and volunteers his services as a “contractor” to get closer to Elsa. What drama will ensue?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I took liberty with several of the names in this story: Jack Frost, Elsa Arendelle, Anna Arendelle, Christopher North (North AKA Santa Claus), Sanders Manning (Sandy AKA Sand Man), Easton Bunnymund (Bunny AKA Easter Bunny), Farin Toothill (Tooth AKA Tooth Fairy), Blake Pitch (Pitch Black AKA The Boogie Man), Kristoff Svensson (Kristoff w/ a nod to Sven), Hans South (Hans of the Southern Isles). I would like to warn everyone now that this is going to be a romantic tragedy of sorts, meaning that there may be events in this story that will make you sad or upset. If you have ever seen the movie The Moulin Rouge, you will know that it has a very sad ending. I still have not decided on the exact ending of my story but that will come in time. That being said, please read and comment and tell me if you find the plot to be interesting.

Chapter 1

Elsa could feel her heart pounding in her chest; the feeling had become common as she heard the roar of the crowd behind the curtains. She had become accustom to the sound of the crowd, familiar with the feel of the bright lights on her skin, acclimated to the ever present sense of shame that swept over her person as those curtains parted every night…

* * *

Many years ago, she was a very happy young girl. She had a family that loved her, a little sister that she adored and a future to look forward to. She was a talented little girl who could sing and dance and enjoyed the attention she received for her efforts. Her parents, to here immense delight, had enrolled her and her sister Anna in dance lessons at the tender age of seven and five. To Elsa, life could not get much better.

Then tragedy struck…She could still remember, even now, as plain as day: a police officer had entered the dance studio asking after the two young girls. They had been waiting in the lobby for the past hour, wondering where their parents could possibly be.

She had held Anna that whole night as her younger sister grieved; holding in her own tears as best as she could. She was trying to be brave for the both of them. Elsa may have been able to pretend she was strong, but that didn’t stop her small body from trembling helplessly.

But, as they say, ‘life goes on’, and it did for the two young girls. Elsa had been immensely grateful that she and Anna had not been separated after the misfortune. The years passed by quickly and with little incident. The girls mourned their loss and pressed on.

College came and Anna, with her indomitable spirit, urged Elsa to go after her dreams. Elsa gave little resistance to her sister, unable to after the death of their parents. She enrolled in Julliard and excelled in dance.

Once again, life was good.

Why did Fate insist on playing such cruel jokes?

Tragedy struck again, this time taking away the only thing in this world that Elsa truly loved with all of her heart. Anna was taken from her, much in the same way that her parents had been.

She recalled the sense of emptiness as she took in the mangled wreckage of her sister’s car, the feeling of numbness as she realized that the perpetrator had gotten away. A shot of chills undulated out from her chest to encompass her entire body and she swore she could literally feel her heart breaking…

Tears spilled from her eyes as she sniffed back her sobs quietly. There was no one there. She had no one to call her own. She was completely and utterly alone and she let the grief consume her.

Why did this keep happening to her?

Elsa had sunken into a pit of depression after her most recent loss. She dropped out of Juilliard and carried on day by day, a hollow shell of the person that she once was. Poverty had taken her under its wing and she soon found herself out on the streets and in any shelter she could find that had enough room for the night. A year passed, the hollow hole inside of her heart aching deeply…

* * *

Elsa closed her eyes tightly and shook away the memories. She had lost her way when her sister had died. She had felt alone and desperate and empty.

Taking in a deep breath, she opened her eyes once more as she clutched two large feathered fans, one in either hand. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Easton Bunnymund motioned to her, a signal that the curtain would be coming up shortly. She nodded silently to him as the familiar melody of the song she would be dancing to came over the sound system.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming out tonight to The North Pole! Allow me to introduce you to our very own Ice Queen!”

‘How did it ever come to this?’ Elsa thought as the curtain raised and she plastered a sultry smile on her face and alluring look in her eyes.

Twirling around, she moved the fans over her body in intricate motions, making sure to remain covered at all times. The Feather Dance was a slow tease as undulating sensual music wafted throughout the dimly lit room. She could hear the cat calls and whistles from her eager audience as she bent forward, making to show her bottom to the audience and covering it at just the last second.

Her nude heels, G-string and tasseled pasties were the only pieces of clothing that she wore, if you could call that clothing. Her hair hung down around her in loose waves and her makeup was light, but gaudy with a dark smoky eye and red lip.

She twirled a large fan over her head, distracting half of the audience with the intricate movement. The other half knew better, and continued to observer her body as she moved the fan that cover her just a fraction to reveal the soft, supple, pale body it hid. A coy, cheeky look passed her face as she eyed up the audience in a teasing manner. She leaned back low, one fan undulating to cover her while the other waved about in the air. After recovering from the lean, she spun herself around several times and faced away from the excited audience. She rested both fans at the small of her back and lifted them gradually several times before looking over her shoulder to grin at the audience as the fans came up high enough to reveal her bare bottom.

Dancing like this had become second nature to her, and after two years of the job her shyness had ebbed. She was a woman after all and she knew how to work her wiles on men. This job had actually improved her self-confidence greatly. She knew that she was beautiful and desirable, but she also knew that she had never truly been loved by any of her suitors or lovers.

Elsa moved effortlessly through the song and came to a pause as the pulsing beat ended. The cat calls continued as her audience knew what she would do next. Holding the feathered fans away from her practically naked body, she bowed lowly, hiding her expression of shame and sadness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Alright please let me know what you think. I will accept whatever comment is given. I also understand that a lot of people will be upset with me for killing off Anna, but this was necessary to aid in the development of the plot. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and please come back for the next.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Jack found himself rolling his eyes at Kristoff as the man moved about with little to no enthusiasm. The two of them had been friends for years now, going back to when they were teenage boys and picking fights with girls they liked. He understood what Kristoff had been going through, but he had been going through it for the past three years and Jack felt that enough was finally enough.

* * *

Jack's life hadn't always been easy, especially after the death of his family. Losing them had been like losing a piece of himself that he knew he would never get back. He had mourned his loss for so many years and had lost who he was in his grief.

All alone and with no one to turn to, he was placed into foster care, which he immediately fled from after he realized the family that had taken him in was only in it for their own benefit.

After his escape, he took up residence in an old dilapidated shed in the woods behind his middle school.

His life seemed to be coming down around him as he continued to struggle through. He had taken up stealing and hustling just to make end's meat, and had been taken into custody several times. Each time he was released into the care of his moneygrubbing foster parents, and every time he escaped back to the shed that he now called home.

One freezing cold day, Kristoff had discovered what had been going on and that was, as they say, that. Jack was practically forced to live with Kristoff and his extended family and the anger and resentment he felt towards life slowly drained out of him until he could smile again.

* * *

Jack knew that he needed to encourage his friend to go on, but sometimes people needed a subtle push in the right direction.

Jack grinned to himself as he shot a nail into the wood less than an inch from Kristoff's hand.

"Watch it," the irate blond bristled, jerking his hand away as Jack shrugged noncommittally.

"Maybe you're the one that needs to watch it," Jack tossed back, smiling snidely at his best friend.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kristoff asked, his expression becoming dark and irritated.

"Nothing," Jack answered vaguely, continuing on in his task.

"Don't you have anything better to do than torment me?" Kristoff asked angrily as he arose from his kneeling position to pick a different spot on the roof that they were securing.

Jack glowered over at the blond, continuing on in his task before heading back down to ground level to peruse the blue prints of the humble dwelling that they were building. Construction work was easy enough and paid well for a man that barely made it through high school with passing grades; a tribute to his hard time getting over his anguish. Wiping his forearm across his forehead, Jack analyzed the drawing before him and nodded with a sense of satisfaction. They were ahead of schedule for once.

Taking a moment to breathe, Jack tried to think of some way to help his friend. After the death of his very serious girlfriend Anna he had retreaded back into a thick shell. The incident happened years ago, but he believed that the fact that the perpetrator had not yet been caught was what was eating at Kristoff so badly.

The air was beginning to cool down as night was approaching. Autumn had settled over the tiny little hamlet just outside the city and the leaves on the trees were taking on a myriad of gorgeous warm colors. Fall and winter were definitely something to behold outside of the hustle and bustle of the city and Jack found himself admiring his surroundings wistfully. It brought back memories of living out in the shed. Sure it had been cold during the season, but the cold had never really bothered him that much as long as he had his lucky hoodie.

Jack's expression became contemplative as he watched his friend work. He truly did understand the grief that he was going though, so it made getting him out of his funk that much more important to Jack. He wanted to somehow repay Kristoff for his kindness so many years ago.

"Hey Frost you got plans tonight?" came the gruff voice of one of the construction workers as he began to pack up his personal tools for the day.

Jack grinned at him as he called up to Kristoff, "I don't know. Hey honey do we have any plans tonight?!" he chuckled as he watched the blond bristle at his teasing.

"Bite me, Jack Frost!" Kristoff shot back.

"Looks like the answer is a 'no'," Jack chuckled, "why, what's up man?"

"Just wanted to see if y'all might be interested in meeting up at The North Pole tonight."

Jack raised an eyebrow at him, "The North Pole? Getting a little eager for Christmas this year?"

"No man it's a dance club!" the other guy laughed heartily.

"Oh, hey, that sounds like fun," his expression became excited as he called over to Kristoff again, "hey Kris wanna see some fine ass tonight?"

A derisive snort was all he got back for his question and Jack nodded at the man, "Oh yeah, we'll be there."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry the chapter was so short, but it sets the next chapter up nicely which should be much longer. Pease comment!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Jack, listen to my words," Kristoff grumbled as he struggled against said man's persistence, "I do not want to go!" he continued, annunciating each syllable.

"Awe come on Kris! Of course you want to go!" Jack insisted, "What hot-blooded American man doesn't want to see a bunch of girls running around in skimpy outfits?"

"I'm Norwegian," Kristoff retorted and was relieved to feel Jack pause in his stride.

"That's beside the point," Jack continued, pressing on.

Jack grinned as he could hear Kristoff sigh indignantly. He was going to get the brawny blond to go to this dance club if it was the very last thing he did!

"Just give it up Kristoff," Jack coaxed, "you are going to enjoy yourself."

"I think you are going to enjoy yourself more, watching my face turn into a tomato," Kristoff countered, a soft blush passing over his tan cheeks.

"Come on man, it's not like you haven't seen a naked girl before," at the lack of response from Kristoff, Jack regarded him curiously; "You haven't, have you?"

"So what if I haven't?!" Kristoff shouted, making an attempt to turn and walk in the opposite direction.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Jack grinned, enjoying his friends discomfort, "All the more reason why this is a good idea! Women are amazing man!" Jack persuaded with a whimsical look to his expression, "They are soft to touch and they smell so good! You don't know what you're missing!"

"We can't all be experienced like you, Jack," Kristoff grumbled, blushing more at Jacks description.

True, Jack had been around the block, several times, but nothing had ever stuck. Every woman that he had been with had just not managed to hold his attention long enough and then he was off to the next. Being with as many women as he had was a way that he buried his grief. Even so, he knew how to please a woman and he was not shy about getting what he wanted.

"Come on, Kris," he insisted, "we are almost there. Give in to the dark side, we have girls!"

Kristoff blushed darker, if at all possible, as they noticed a short, stout man outside the club ushering people in with a big smile and excited gestures. He seemed to be childlike in his enthusiasm as he waved around animatedly to anyone that passed by.

"Hey Little Man," Jack greeted jovially and smiled brightly as they were ushered into the darkly lit club.

"I don't know how you managed to talk me into this," Kristoff practically whispered as they took in their surroundings.

The club itself wasn't very large in comparison with others that the city housed. The ceiling was low and gave the guise of intimacy while the walls were covered with blood red velvet curtains, most likely to help maintain the noise of the low, sensual bass-filled music that was playing. A bar was stationed along the wall to the right, stretching across the entire length with several bartenders already hard at work as eager patrons flashed their money.

A series of round tables that all seated up to four were littered throughout the middle of the club. Each table housed a kerosene lantern that was lit and turned down low to maintain the ambiance. To the left was a large, classic theatrical stage with lighting stationed at the outer edge along the floor and angled up to catch the plush red velvet curtains, which shrouded the back stage in mystery. The only lighting, save for the lanterns and the dimly lit bar, came from the stage.

Jack's expression was that of interest as he felt the little man from outside guide the both of them to a round table near to the stage. They took their seats and continued to look around as gobs of people continued to flood in from the front entrance.

"There aren't any girls," Kristoff mentioned.

"You almost sound disappointed," Jack grinned as he watch his friend bristle crossly.

"Well what kind of a dance club doesn't have any girls?" Kristoff retorted logically.

"Dunno," Jack admitted, wondering at the oddness himself.

* * *

"Farin, are you about ready to go on, love?" came the sensual Australian accent from Easton.

Farin nodded as she exited through the partition in the curtains to the roaring applause of the audience, "Good evening everyone!" she greeted excitedly, "thank you all for coming out tonight to The North Pole! To those of you that don't already know, we are a humble little burlesque bar seeking to stand out among all of the rest with our own personally choreographed comedy numbers mixed in with some erotic, spicy dancing! Please settle in, have a drink and enjoy the show!"

The audience continued to roar out in approval as several of Farin's little dancers came out to perform a number based off of the romantic drama of Dirty Dancing while she slipped back behind the curtains.

"You always know how to work up the crowd," came the soft lilt of a voice from behind Farin.

"I always did have a knack for the theater," Farin laughed, taking in the sight of Elsa Arendelle in her overly large raincoat, rain hat, elbow length black gloves, and four inch black heels.

Elsa smiled at the older woman. She was a classic beauty, like that of Jackie-o or Audrey Hepburn. Her statuesque frame was lithe yet curvaceous and she held herself with a proud, confident nature. Her hair was a rich dark midnight black and cut pixie short; her eyes were an unusual lavender color which made her look foreign and exotic.

It was Farin who had made Elsa more comfortable with her choice of profession, explaining that just because she showed off her body to society it didn't make her a bad person. Also, the female form was something to be admired and celebrated, and burlesque was a way of doing that.

Burlesque was about the tease, about getting a reaction out of the audience not at all similar to a strip club. People went to strip clubs to see flesh whereas people that went to burlesque clubs were at least half invested in the story and the theatrics.

Elsa wasn't fooling herself that the audience wasn't also in it for the eventual show of flesh, but they also enjoyed the story and plot that most burlesque acts consisted of. She wanted to believe that some of the people were coming to witness her choreography.

Looking on from left stage, behind the shroud of rich velvet curtains, she watched as Farin's enlisted troupe danced to "(I've Had) The Time Of My Life" sung by Bill Medley & Jennifer Warens. Anyone with a pulse and of the right age knew this song and the movie that it referenced. The troupe danced about the stage, adorned in tight cleavage-inducing corsets and garters which lead up to minimal skirts. They twirled around, dipping and grinded against one another in the style of dance that the movie Dirty Dancing was known for.

A small sense of pride could be felt in the hollowness of Elsa's heart as she happened to glance some of the audience members staring at the dancers in rapt fascination.

"Ey, moya malen'kaya snezhinka!" [1]

Elsa turned to see Christopher North, an older, tall, burly gentleman with long snow white hair and lengthy beard, waving at her from behind the center stage curtain. She ducked back behind the drape with him and smiled as he waved animatedly at her.

* * *

"This place is a lot classier than I thought," Jack mentioned, grinning as he saw Kristoff peak out from the fold of his arms on the table.

The blond was very shy at the moment as the group on the stage ground against one another, confident smirks and coy smiles on their faces. He was just so insecure it was hilarious. The act was nothing too new for Jack, as he had been to several strip clubs in his life, but he had never been to a burlesque club. The concept of women removing their clothing slowly and shimmying across the stage was unique and intriguing.

Jack grinned and shook his head at Kristoff as he retreated back into the fold of his arms, "How about a drink buddy?"

An unintelligible grumble was all he got as he gestured over the man from earlier who had waved them into the building, "Hey Little Man, can we get a couple of Jack and cokes?" said little man nodded eagerly with a smile and, with empty serving tray in hand, hustled over to the bar.

Another timid peak from Kristoff and Jack had finally had enough. He poked the larger man in the side and chuckled at the resulting reaction. The blond jerked up, having been poked in just the right area to make him flinch away. With his head no longer covered he was able to get a better view of the stage and he soon found himself looking on in intrigued curiosity.

'Finally,' Jack thought, 'took you long enough to come out of your shell,'

With a grin, the two men continued to watch as the act seemed to be drawing to a close.

* * *

"What is it, North?" Elsa asked with a sweet smile as she drew nearer for said man to whisper to her.

"Smotret'!"[2] he exclaimed happily, "Is Blake Pitch!"

"Who?" Elsa asked confusedly.

"Is big, big businessman!" North continued, not dissuaded by Elsa's lack of knowledge, "He make much money!"

Elsa's smile broadened as she watched North peer out into the audience again through a small gap in the curtains. Christopher North was like a father to her and he had taken her in and protected her after she had ended up out on the streets. He had discovered her outside of a soup kitchen one day, sitting listlessly in the beginnings of a blizzard, eyes hollow and empty.

"Malen'kaya Snezhinka," he had called her and she had not understood him.

She had looked at him with such sadness and he had taken her hand and led her to the life that she now lived.

The memory left her feeling melancholic, but grateful. Without North she was certain that she could not have gone on any further. He had saved her life.

"What does his wealth have to do with us?" she asked him with an adoring smile.

"I may be able to get him to invest, yes?" this was given in the form of a question.

Elsa's eyes widened knowingly as she felt her heart pick up a quickened pace, "Do you think he would?"

"Maybe," North answered, "you could live dream, moya malen'kaya snezhinka," the tenderness in his eyes almost brought Elsa to tears.

North had always taken such good care of her, "Which one is he?" she asked urgently, wanting to see their possible ray of light.

North glanced through the small partition again, "Is one Sandy hand drink to," North supplied.

Elsa made to look around him eagerly, nearly pushing him aside in her hurry to glance her potential savior. She was surprise at what she saw.

* * *

Jack happened to notice the little publicist as he approached the table behind his and Kristoff's. He was beginning to feel anxious for the drinks as Kristoff withdrew again slightly. The blond had taken to hiding behind a hand that he had held up, fingers pressing into his forehead.

"I wanted three olives, not two," Jack could hear from the aforementioned table, and made to look over his shoulder.

The little man seemed to look concerned as he floundered around with an apology while a very pale man with a birdlike nose glared hatefully at him.

Seeking to rescue the little guy, Jack motioned toward him, "Hey, Little Man," he said with a reassuring smile, "got our drinks?"

Said man nodded enthusiastically as he moved over to Jack's table. Placing a drink in front of the guarded Kristoff, he took the remaining beverage off of the little serving board and handed it directly to Jack.

* * *

With intrigued eyes, Elsa watched as a young white-haired man received his drink from a smiling Sanders Manning. He grinned at Sandy as he bustled off to grab more drinks for the large audience before looking back at the stage. He took a sip from his drink while happening to meet eyes with Elsa through the curtain.

Elsa gasped notably as she backed away from the curtain, her heart pounding in her chest for some unknown reason, "He's handsome…" she whispered out, a blush staining her cheeks.

North looked at her confusedly as she glanced down at the ground with wide eyes. Running a hand along his snowy white beard, he looked back out to the audience. Yup, there was Sandy as he handed a ramekin of olives to the irate looking Blake Pitch.

A shrugged, "If that is what you like."

Elsa looked at him peculiarly, not thinking much of his words as the current act came to a close. It was her turn to go on next and she watched as the dance troupe jogged back in, grinning with the rush of the performance.

"Easton," Elsa called over to the tall Australian. "Do you mind setting up?"

"Reckon!" he agreed with a smile and made to set up the stage.

A chill of nerves washed over her as she looked at the stage with trepidation. She always got this way before an act, especially a new one. And what was worse was that she wanted to secure Blake's investment. Sure, she trusted North and his persuasiveness, but she wanted to be certain that he wouldn't say no. This was important to her; if they could get Blake to invest then they could turn The North Pole into a dance studio.

"A chair too, Easton, please. And play Ride after Gene Kelly ok?" she called to him as he came back behind the curtain.

He looked at her questioningly, but made to do as he was asked.

Elsa clenched her jaw shut as her stomach twisted with butterflies. A deep inhale later and she was ready. The familiar notes of Gene Kelly's "Singin' In The Rain" began to play as she strutted out onto the stage. On cue, an umbrella was tossed at her and she caught it in midair.

After opening her umbrella with a smile, she began an upbeat trek around the periphery of the stage, smiling sweetly at her audience as she lifted her legs just high enough for the audience to glance up her knee length yellow rain coat. Her head was covered with her floppy rain hat and with a flourish she tossed it off, allowing her hair to cascade loosely down around her to her lower back.

With a twirl, she tossed away the umbrella behind stage and grasped at her coat and shivered as if cold. The audience cheered at her, urging her to take it off. She chided them gently and turned around to face the curtain. Once certain that the audience would not be able to view her front, she ripped open the coat with a grand show and looked over her shoulder as the cheering grew louder.

She swiveled her hips seductively as she continued to look back at the audience. Making to turn around, she delighted in the excitement she saw in their eyes at the possibility of seeing her unguarded figure. She closed the coat at the very last second to an upset sigh from the audience.

She scolded them again with a finger and a roll of her eyes. Turning around to face the curtain one more time, she dropped the coat off of her bare shoulders and let it rest within the crook of her arms. She shimmied her shoulders and tilted her head back languidly before turning around slowly, lifting the coat back over her shoulders after the audience got a look at her umbrella pasties.

A collective laugh could be heard from the audience as she danced from one side of the stage to the other, sheading one long black glove on either side before coming to center stage once again. She grasped at each side of her coat before ripping it open again with a flourish and a toss of her head to the side. She twirled her hips around seductively as she slid the coat off of her form gracefully before kicking it back stage.

The song was quickly drawing to a close and she was ready to make her move. She made a show of looking through the audience with bright, blue eyes before they landed upon the white-haired man that she had spied earlier. With a confident tilt of her chin she pointed at him and was pleased at the surprised grin that came to his face. Elsa curled her finger at him, gesturing for him to come on stage with her.

* * *

Jack's brows nearly rose into his hairline as the pale beauty before him urged him to come on the stage with her. Spying the chair that had been taken out and had yet to be used, he was pretty certain as to what was going to happen.

"Man, Kristoff get up there!" he shouted excitedly.

"No way!" the blond refused and shook his head vehemently, "She's pointing at you anyways!"

Jack rolled his eyes disappointedly as he looked back up at the stage and smiled as the beauty before him pouted sweetly, "You're loss man!"

Jack smirked eagerly as she clasped his hand and a shock went through his body.

* * *

"Mine friend!" North greeted, not at all shy about meeting a wealthy businessman in a place like The North Pole. "I be knowing who you are. I see face somewhere before?"

Said man glared at him for a moment before returning his attention to the woman on stage and her victim. He had been admiring her through her "Singin' In The Rain" act and did not want to be disturbed.

Not discouraged by his lack of response, North continued on, "Yes I know I see you! You are Blake Pitch, no?"

"Yes," The pale man growled out.

"This is good, yes?!" North continued, "I am proprietor of establishment! I wish to speak with you of matters of money and insist that you meet my Little Snowflake."

"Excuse me?" Pitch retorted, raising an irate eyebrow at the irritating old man.

"Little Snowflake!" North raised his voice as if that would help the Englishmen understand, gesturing to Elsa who was assisting her prey up onto the stage.

Pitch's expression became one of interest before turning his gaze to give his full attention to North, "Go on?"

* * *

A moment of pause seemed to last for minutes on end as he looked up at the woman before him. His heart began to beat rapidly in his chest as she looked at him with gentle eyes. An expression that he had never witnessed on another person was present behind the mask of sensuality. Who was this woman?

Jack gulped back as she help him onto the stage and lead him to sit on the chair.

With a glance off stage the music began, a deep rumbling bass spread throughout the club as a morphed voice rapped out slowly. Moving around leisurely, grinding her hips through the air, Elsa danced for Blake. She faced away from him and bent forward with straight legs to touch the floor and snake a hand up her leg, her ass at his eye level. She had to grin at the thought of his startled countenance. Upon turning around she was surprised to see a calm, if heated, expression on his face.

Jack found himself clenching his jaw tightly against the urge to touch her. She was not like any woman he had ever seen. She moved with a grace and sureness that enticed him and he gulped back the need that ascended in the pit of his stomach.

Elsa couldn't help the feelings that she began to experience. The audience melted away and the only one there was Blake. His icy blue eyes bore into hers for a moment, sending a tantalizing chill down her spine, before roaming along her curves. She watched with a sense of longing as he closed his eyes against the sight of her and tilted his head back minimally, his Adam's apple bobbed with a thick swallow. He wanted her and she knew it.

Jack's hands grasped onto the seat he inhabited desperately as he felt her straddle his lap and roll her hips against him. He could not hold back his gasp as his eyes flew back open to see the heat within hers. She was seducing him. He knew this without a doubt and he let her. He was falling and he didn't want it to stop.

Elsa removed herself from his lap to turn around and squat low, lifting back up she sat between his legs and rolled her hips slowly. She looked back over her shoulders to see his calm expression as he continued to devour her with his eyes. His hands came up of their own volition to grasp onto her hips and Elsa felt a warm heat pool at her center with the firm, sure touch.

Jack pulled his hands back with forced restraint as Elsa drew back to dance in front of him, no longer touching his body. He knew the unspoken rule about a lap dance was no touching, but he had not been able to help himself. He clenched his jaw tightly again, a muscle in his cheek twitching as he grasped onto the chair once more.

Elsa smiled at him with a seduction that was not at all difficult to muster as she bent over him, placing her hands on his thighs and arching low over his groin, coming up slowly to his chest and giving him an expression that she attempted to make look needy. It must have worked, because he groaned out softly before closing his eyes to the sight of her yet again.

Jack was beginning to lose what little control he had as she bent low over him and then came to settle on her knees between his spread thighs. She was a temptress and he wanted to have his way with her…now! Luckily the song was coming to an end after nearly five torturous minutes and he was eager to gain what semblance of control he could.

Elsa gained her footing once again before smiling down at Blake almost apologetically. She had never really gotten so into a lap dance before, but there was just something about him. Not only did he have the means to help her with her dream, but he was also very desirable. He was tall and lean and he seemed to be a confident person who had control of himself and over his life.

This made her plan to seduce him and gain his affections that much more favorable. She steeled herself against her sudden nerves as she turned to walk off the stage.

"Easton," she began, noticing the unusual deepness to her voice, "please bring him to my dressing room in five minutes."

Easton, looked at her with a confused, concerned expression, "Are you sure, love?"

Elsa turned to him, as she had walked passed him, to give him a resolute look, "Yes," was her stern answer as she continued on her way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: What did everyone think? How did I do with describing the dances? I tried to explain them well so it didn't seem like they were just tossed into the story. If y'all are interested I have translations and a song list below. Please comment.
> 
> Songs:
> 
> "(I've Had) The Time Of My Life" sung by Bill Medley & Jennifer Warens
> 
> "Singin' In The Rain" sung by Gene Kelly
> 
> "Ride" sung by Ciara ft. Ludacris
> 
> Translation from Google Translate:
> 
> "Hey, my little snowflake!" [1]
> 
> "Look!" [2]


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Jack found himself breathing out a loud sigh of relief as he sagged low into the chair he occupied, almost sliding off. He could still see her in his mind's eye as he closed his eyes against the world: her lithe, pale body moving against him, her crystal clear blue eyes looking back at him with that needy expression.

'Boy, am I in over my head,' Jack thought as he opened his eyes again to see a tall, perturbed-looking man glaring down at him, "Can I help you?" he asked roguishly, smirking as the irritation intensified.

"Get up," was the answer given as the taller man reached down to grab Jack's arm roughly.

Jack attempted to jerk away, but the taller man held fast as he began to drag him behind the center stage curtain.

"Hey, look man, I didn't do anything!" Jack protested, feeling a nervous twist in his stomach as he couldn't dislodge himself from the other man's grasp.

"Easy on, mate," his assailant grumbled, not pausing in his persistence.

"What?!" Jack shouted, now having been dragged down a short series of steps and into a windowless hallway, "Who the hell do you think you are?!"

Jack finally wrenched his arm free and stepped back with an angry, guarded expression on his face.

With an annoyed roll of his eyes, "Easton Bunnymund," when all he received was an even more suspicious look he elaborated, "I'm a bouncer."

"Oh," Jack replied simply, standing up straight once again and rubbing his arm, "like I said, man, I didn't do anything. She pulled me up on stage herself."

"I know, you bloody tosser," Easton retorted, looking off to the side with a glower.

Jack arched an irritated eyebrow at the Australian. He was tall and muscular with medium length, dark grey hair and green eyes. Upon further inspection he noticed several tribal tattoos on both arms and across the back of his neck. He was a peculiar looking individual.

After an irritated snort, Easton continued, "Elsa wanted me to bring you to her dressing room," he glared suspiciously at Jack before continuing, "now make it snappy before I grow a conscience."

Jack felt his heart throb in anticipation, 'She wants to see me?'

"Well then what are we standing around for?" Jack grinned, motioning for Easton continue.

Said man rolled his eyes flippantly before continuing on down the hall.

* * *

Elsa paced about her room nervously, glancing momentarily at a clock on the wall before continuing to wear a groove into the floor. Upon entering her room she had donned a thigh high silk robe and nothing else. She wanted to have this seduction go off without a hitch and the fewer clothes to remove the better.

Thinking about Blake caused a twist to occur in the pit of her stomach that she recognized as desire, but the pounding of her heart was something she was much less familiar with. Most men had shown a more lecherous expression as she gave them a lap dance, whereas Blake had looked at her almost reverently. No man had ever looked at her like that and she wanted to see him again. She wanted to feel his eyes roaming over her body before looking back at her with the barley contained sense of hunger he had shown her.

Hearing a sudden knock at her door, Elsa let out a startled gasp. Calming herself, she opened the door and took in Easton's surly expression and Blake's calm smile. He just seemed to have so much self-restraint over himself and that was something that enticed Elsa. She wanted to make him lose control…

"Special delivery, love," Easton commented sarcastically.

Elsa gave him a look of rebuff before gesturing for Blake to enter her room, "Thank you, Easton," she dismissed, attempting to close her door and receiving resistance as Easton placed a large foot between the door and it's jam.

"Are you sure about this, love?" Easton asked again, a look of barley restrained trepidation in his green eyes.

Elsa glared at him hotly, not liking her motives to be questioned. The glare was all Easton would receive as answer as he backed out of the door frame slowly, glaring threateningly at Jack before the door closed with a sense of finality.

Jack couldn't keep the mischievous grin off of his face as she turned to regard him once inside. She was positively stunning as she looked up at him through hooded lashes and approached him slowly.

Elsa's heart was hammering around in her chest as she looked up at Blake. He was indeed very handsome with his snow white hair, icy blue eyes, and attractive grin. As she had danced for him on stage, she had felt a connection, a drawing to him, as if he had been calling to her all his life and now she could finally hear him. It only suited her needs even more that he happened to be wealthy and if she charmed him enough he might just donate a healthy sum to the club to have it converted into a dance studio.

She realized that she had said next to nothing to him as she backed him up against her vanity. He didn't seem to mind as his grin grew even wider, if at all possible. There was just something there, something behind the mischief in his eye that called to her and drew her in deeply. He looked at her with such awareness that it unnerved her and sent a shiver down her spine.

Jack gasped out minutely as he felt the backs of his thighs come into contact with a solid surface. He looked behind himself to see a classic vanity. Realizing that he was trapped, he looked back around to the woman before him. Her look was satisfied as she placed her hands gently on his arms and grazed them up slowly, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. Upon reaching his shoulder her palms splayed out along his collarbone to journey up to the column of his neck. An audible gulp could be heard from Jack as he felt his heart begin to throb and the muscles in his stomach clenched with desire. This was going awfully fast and he had to close his eyes tightly against the sight of her to regain his composure.

Elsa watched with a sense of satisfaction as the grin vanished from his face to be replaced with a look of awe. She could hear him gulp nervously and smiled at him coyly before tilting her chin back to kiss the line of his smooth jaw.

Jack's hands reached out to grab onto her of their own volition, grasping desperately at her waist as her soft lips grazed the skin of his throat. It felt like a bolt of lightning had just charged through his body.

Jack cleared his throat roughly. With every bit of self-restraint he could muster he used the grip he had on her waist to gently push her back, "Not that I'm not completely flattered," he began, clearing his throat again to diminish the deep passion filled tone to his voice, "but I can't help but feel that we are taking things a little too quickly."

Elsa looked back at him with a stunned expression. No man had ever complained that she was being overeager! Why was this man so very different from all of the others? She settled back down onto her feet, having lifted up on her toes to kiss along his jawline. She just had to get a look at this man who had told her, in not so many blunt words, to slow down!

"I'm sorry," she blushed deeply.

'Crap!' Jack thought, worrying that he had screwed up his chance to get to know this beautiful young woman, "No, no, it's perfectly fine!" he insisted, "I just thought maybe we could introduce ourselves before jumping into bed with one another," he finished, cursing himself mentally for sounding so direct.

Elsa breathed out a soft laugh as she watched Blake flounder around. He was truly a different breed of man.

"Oh, of course. I'm sorry," Elsa smiled softly, stepping back a pace, "I'm Elsa Arendelle."

"Wow that is a beautiful name," Jack smiled back pleasantly, "I'm Jack Frost."

Elsa blinked, thinking that she had heard him incorrectly, "I'm sorry, what is your name again?"

"Jack Frost, I know my folks were cruel," he chuckled, missing the look of alarm she gave him.

"Wait, you're not Blake Pitch?" she asked frantically, her brow creasing with barley-contained dread.

"Who?" was all Jack could say before the sound of the door opening interrupted them.

Elsa's gaze landed on the door as North entered with a bewildered expression on his bearded face upon seeing a man already in her dressing room. She panted nervously as she noticed a tall, lean man standing behind North. He was ghostly pale with blackish grey hair swept back away from his forehead. His eyes were an eerie yellowish browns and he seemed to have a constant sneer present on his face.

"Dorogoy," [1] North began, "this is Blake Pitch. I spoke with him about renovation."

Elsa's expression became one of barley contained dread as she realized that she had approached the wrong man. She looked back over at the man whom had introduced himself as Jack Frost to see a bewildered expression on his face before one of understanding replaced it. A knowing smile pulled at his lips as he shrugged at her uselessly.

"Who is this with you?" Elsa could hear the rich English tones of Blake's voice and shivered with anxiety as she had no idea what to tell him.

A long moment ticked by as Elsa struggled to think of something to tell him so as not to lose their funding. The situation was very precarious, after all there was a strange man in her dressing room and she was wearing nothing but a silk robe.

"I'm the contractor."

She looked over at Jack as he approached North and Pitch with an air of confidence.

"The name's Jack Frost," he held out his hand to Pitch to shake it and was given a glare for his efforts before he shoved it into the pocket of his hoodie with an indignant look and a shrug.

"Already consulting with a contractor and you haven't even received my consent. That is presumptuous of you, miss."

"Elsa," she answered, reaching out her own hand for a greeting.

Elsa's heart continued to hammer around in her chest roughly even as things seemed to be working out to her benefit, but she knew that she wasn't out of the woods yet.

Pitch took her hand eagerly and pulled her closer with the leverage he now had. Elsa stumbled slightly before coming to a stop no more than a foot's distance from the foreboding man before her, her robe coming off of her left shoulder just enough to reveal the pale skin of her shoulder and collar bone. With a raise of a prominent eyebrow Blake made to kiss the hand offered him.

Jack found himself glaring suspiciously at the taller man before him. He didn't much care for his aloof snoot-ish demeanor. He also found that he didn't like the way he looked at the girl who revealed herself to be known as Elsa. Jack felt he suited her far better than the Englishman did anyways.

Elsa withdrew her hand after enough time had passed that it would not have been rude and stepped back from the tall, overbearing man. She sensed Jack's presence behind her and glanced for him out of the corner of her eye.

"Well, I was so excited at the idea that we would have an investor that I just had to get started. It has been a dream of mine to turn this place into a dance studio, you see," she explained, turning up the flirting as she looked at Pitch through hooded eyes, much as she had Jack a few moments ago.

"I see," Pitch concurred, "well far be it for me to get in the way of a beautiful woman's dreams."

Elsa's eyes lit up hopefully as she smiled brightly at Pitch, "Does that mean you'll invest?"

A snide smile crossed Pitch's features as he leered at Elsa, "Of course my dear," he agreed, but Elsa could tell there was a 'but' hiding somewhere within his next sentence, "And, if I may be so bold as to ask, I would like to take you out to dinner sometime."

Knowing that she was stuck between a rock and a hard place, Elsa found herself agreeing, "Let me take a look at my schedule and I will let you know," she hoped that that would appease him.

Before Pitch could answer, North wrapped a large, brawny arm around the slighter man's shoulders and ushered him out of the room.

"Zamechatel'nyy!"[2] Elsa could hear him say as the door closed behind them, "Let us go over papers!"

Elsa breathed a much needed sigh of relief as she leaned her bare shoulder against the door…

"I see what's going on here now," Jack murmured with a dejected smile, his heart lurching at the idea that Elsa had not actually intended to seduce him.

"How could you not have said something?!" she shouted, pacing around her dressing room anxiously, "If he ever finds out what was going on in here he will turn tail and run!" she didn't notice the playful smile that crossed Jack's lips as she continued to pace around the small room, "Why didn't you say anything?!"

"What do you mean?" Jack asked with a curious expression on his face.

"You must have thought it strange that I would have Easton take you back here," Elsa pressed, turning to face him and glowering at his amused countenance.

"Well I just thought I won the jackpot or something," He answered as his eyes raked up and down her silk clad figure, "not only that, but you didn't really give me the opportunity to say anything," he winked.

Elsa rolled her eyes, ignoring the heat that his look ignited in her body as she struggled not to pull her robe back over her shoulder for fear of looking self-conscious in front of a man that couldn't matter less to her.

"All I know is that you had better be a good contractor…" she threatened as she glared darkly at him.

"Yeah, about that…" Jack's smile did not waver as her glare intensified. He enjoyed the expressions she made and wanted to glean all he could from her while he was able.

"You are a contractor, aren't you?" she practically growled.

"More like a foreman," he admitted and practically laughed at the melt down that was happening in Elsa's eyes.

"You mean to tell me that you are only a dirty construction worker?!" she shouted, giving him the full fury of her glare.

"Whoa, whoa, I'm a foreman," he chided, placing his hands in the pockets of his hoodie as he wandered back over to lean against her vanity.

"What's the difference?" Elsa asked sarcastically as she walked behind her dressing screen to put on some clothes.

"I run the show," Jack answered confidently, making to position himself so he could see between two of the screens at the partition.

Glancing bare pale skin he could feel his breath hitch as the smile fell from his face to be taken over by a look of wonder. She was exquisite…

Not realizing that Jack was getting his own personal little show, Elsa continued, "Well we don't need the help of a construction worker with a Napoléon Complex."

Jack found himself snorting in derision even as he could see the swell of her breast. He could tell that her back was to him even as she was behind the screen, but as she lifted her arms to put on her sports bra he glimpsed the profile of the soft mound of flesh. His pulse quickened and he found himself gulping needlessly.

With a flurry of motion, North opened up the door to Elsa's dressing room again and came in with a loud, accomplished shout. "Elsa lybov'[3] Pitch accepted!"

Elsa peered out from behind her dressing screen to take in North's ecstatic expression. As she pulled on her yoga pants and stepped out from behind the screen the words he spoke settle in. They had the necessary funding to turn the club into a dance studio.

A look of elation crossed her features and Jack found himself holding his breath. This woman who had seduced him for her own misguided gains was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. She had made him feel things that he hadn't felt in years and he felt inexplicably drawn to her. He was going to do himself a favor and hold onto her for dear life…

"So does this mean you need a cheap, would-be contractor?"

North and Elsa looked over at the smiling young man as he reclined further against Elsa's vanity with his hands behind his head. His eyes raked over her body and his grin grew as his gaze met and held her annoyed one.

"Da!" [4]

"No!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: That was fun to write. This is where the nod to The Moulin Rouge comes into play and not a reenactment. Jack, to me is nothing like Christian. I see Jack as a confident person, if a little smug. And I like the idea that Elsa will push him away as much as she can until Jack wears her down with his persistence. Please let me know what you think in a comment and once again translations are below if interested.
> 
> Translation from Google Translate:
> 
> "Dear" [1]
> 
> "Wonderful!" [2]
> 
> "Love" [3]
> 
> "Yes!" [4]


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Jack could not keep his mind on task. He found it very hard to concentrate as North spoke with him animatedly. Several times, the older man clapped him on the back in a friendly manner, startling him out of his thoughts. He couldn't help it really; all he was thinking of was Elsa.

Jack gazed down at the rough floor plan of the night club. They had gotten as far as a tracing paper overlay and that was all Jack could manage before he lost all concentration with thoughts of the Ice Queen.

North watched as Jack sighed listlessly. He could see that the boy was love-struck with his little snowflake and his feelings were a mix of sympathy and protectiveness. Elsa had been hurt so much in her life, not only with the death of her family, but with several attempts that she had made at failed relationships. She had attempted to fill the emptiness inside of her with false love and had learned her lesson after the fourth or fifth suitor had left her.

North was protective of Elsa. He wanted her to be happy and to believe that life truly was worth living despite all of the loneliness and heartache that she had experienced. This young man before him seemed different from all of the others. He looked genuine and eager to help with her dream. At the very moment, though, he was being pretty useless as he stared at the layout of the club with a distant look to his eyes as if in thought.

"Ey, mal'chik,"[1] North nudged Jack roughly, watching as the slighter man nearly fell over in a stunned daze, "focus!"

"Oh, hey sorry Mr. North," Jack apologized, looking a little sheepish, "I just can't concentrate for some reason."

North gave Jack a cross look, knowing exactly what was wrong with the infatuated youth, "North," he corrected.

Jack looked at him with a confused look, "Ummm, ok Mr. North."

"Net, net just North, vy ponimayete?" [2]

"Uh, sure North," Jack murmured looking at the older man incredulously.

"Khorosho," [3] North nodded with satisfaction, "is late. Club already closed down for night. Come back later and we talk more, yes?"

Jack nodded absently, wincing slightly as the burly man clapped him on the back again before heading to his office. He was pretty sure he was going to have a bruise between his shoulder blades in the morning.

It was already 4:30am and the last of the club's patrons had left a half hour ago. He and North had set up a work station behind the bar and soft overhead lighting illuminated the club minimally.

Jack sighed thoughtfully as his thoughts turned inward once again. He knew that Elsa had only shown an interest in him because she thought that he had money, but that didn't stop his mind from wandering to thoughts of the pale, white-blond haired woman. She was just so, so…

Jack clenched his jaw together as he just couldn't think of the right words to describe her. He just felt her, he felt her everywhere, he felt the curve of her hips and the narrowness of her waist as he had grasped onto her eagerly. When he closed his eyes he could see her, he could see the promise in her expression and wondered at the unreadable expression he had glimpsed underneath. It was almost a look of sadness. He could hear the lilt of her voice in the silence of the club, the soft laugh that she had let out upon their introduction. He could even smell her for goodness sake! A sweet perfume of clean fragrances mixed with soft undertones of nature.

Jack felt a chill run throughout his body as he recalled her hands grazing up his arms and over his collar bone to dip into the hairs at the nape of his neck. He could not recall anything in his life ever feeling as magnificent as that sensation.

He sighed heavily, knowing that to get what he wanted it would be a challenge. Before he and North had gone to discuss floor plans she had vehemently fought against his assistance. The only thing that had convinced her was North.

"What will Pitch think if boy is not assisting?" Elsa had glared angrily at the older man's question.

She knew that Pitch would think she lied about Jack's presence in her room. That's what he would think. And then he would assume the worst and they would lose their opportunity.

"Get out," she whispered through clenched teeth with barley repressed frustration.

North had turned tail and fled with a nervous Jack in tow.

Jack knew he would be fighting an uphill battle to win her affections and thought briefly to himself if it was truly worth it.

"Have a good morning, Farin," Jack heard from the stage and found himself ducking slightly behind the bar so as not to be seen.

There Elsa was, waving sweetly to her friend as the other woman walked down from the side stage stairs and left the building out of a side entrance. He watched Elsa openly, studying her as she moved about the stage with the same sureness that she had displayed earlier.

Elsa sighed softly to herself as she wandered over to the sound system off stage to put on the latest song she had been working with. The soft piano keys to Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" crooned out through the surrounding speakers as she returned to center stage. She knew the song was a cliché but it spoke to her and her story. It expressed her sadness with such a beautiful sound and her body was taken over with motion as she moved about the stage gracefully.

Jack watched on reverently as Elsa moved about with such elegance it took away his very breath. The lyrics of the accompanying song were not lost on him as he watched her expressions. She looked so heartbroken… Her brow creased in what seemed like grief and Jack felt his heart ache for her. She was grieving…

Jack wondered what she could possibly be so forlorn for. What had hurt her so deeply that she would express herself in this way with this distraught expression? A sudden urge to comfort her came upon him and he had to suppress it, imagining that it would not be accepted by the woman before him. But he could feel his heart reaching out to her, he could feel this overwhelming urge to protect her and make her happy. He felt this powerful surge of emotion inside of himself that was near overwhelming and he willed it to calm itself. He willed it back to where it had come from, promising himself that she was indeed worth the effort and he _would_ be with her.

Elsa found herself panting in slight exertion as the song ended as softly as it began. She inhaled and exhaled once sharply in an attempt to relieve some of the sadness she had begun to feel when all of a sudden she took note of random applause. She looked around confusedly before her gaze fell upon a smiling Jack Frost. She didn't have the patience to restrain her glare.

"What are you still doing here?"

"Just enjoying the show," Jack responded amicably as he mounted the side stage stairs.

Elsa stepped back a fraction, a look of suspicion overtaking her features as Jack came to stand before her. She really did not feel like dealing with anything right now, much less with the emotions that the man before her caused her to feel.

After Jack and North had left her room, Elsa had taken a seat at her vanity, taking a moment to analyze her expression. She was angry at being pushed into a corner by Jack Frost. She was going to be forced to endure his presence as the club got renovated. Elsa had paused with the realization that that little bit of information did not upset her as much as she would have liked it to.

Sighing at her wayward emotions, she schooled her expression, taking on the guise of the Ice Queen once more. She needed to put a stop to this before it got out of hand. 'Nip it in the bud' as they say. Meeting Jack's gaze was the first step, and she found herself faltering already…

Those eyes of his took her in and held her close and she had to fight against the urge to surrender. She was a strong, independent woman and she had more than learned her lesson about the opposite sex. She was not going to risk her heart again, not even for the man before her that made her feel… _complete_ for some inexplicable reason...

Jack watched her expressions closely as she seemed to be going through an internal struggle. A moment later and she seemed to come to a conclusion as her expression was set sternly, 'Oh great, here we go,' Jack thought with an anticipatory grin.

She was going to tell him off, he just knew it. She was going to push him aside and he was going to make sure that she knew he would not be dismissed so easily.

"Listen, Mr. Frost," she began succinctly, before pausing at the indignant look he sent her way, "What?" she snapped, not being able to resist the bait.

"Mr. Frost?" Jack began, placing his hands in his pockets as he moved to walk around her, "Come on Elsa, you know me better than that. After all you were invading my personal space no more than three hours ago."

Elsa bristled bitterly. She turned around with him, not wanting to present her back, "I don't recall you complaining," she snapped back.

"Who said anything about complaining?" Jack retorted, delighting at the fact that she was dancing with him, figuratively speaking. Their conversation was a dance that he was very familiar with, that of flirtation and courtship, "I was just pointing out that I think we are beyond referring to each other on last name basis, Elsa."

Elsa felt a chill go down her spine, the way Jack annunciated her name was like a caress to her senses. This had to stop before it was too late!

"Listen, Jack," she began coolly as he came to stop in front of her once again, "I don't know what impression I gave you about myself, but I assure you that I am only interested in a professional working relationship."

"Well I'm not," Jack responded bluntly, delighting in the startled expression on Elsa's face, " _I_ want to assure _you_ that I am very interested in you and I would like to get to know you better."

Elsa glowered at his confident straight-forward words. How could he possibly be so blunt?! She was amazed at how sure of himself he was and she smiled at him cockily, hoping to put him off of his game. She delighted in the curious tilt of his head as she turned to leave the stage through the curtains.

"Too bad the feeling isn't mutual," she called back indifferently.

Jack lifted a miffed brow as she sauntered off stage, turning to him before she finally vanished behind the curtain.

"All I know is that you had better do a good job or you will be fired faster than you can blink."

If looks could kill he would be six feet under…

* * *

Jack grinned goofily at Kristoff as his blond friend glared back hatefully at him. He was definitely in trouble. Not only was he not the contractor that he claimed to be, but Kristoff was, and he had ditched said friend the previous night for a girl. He needed to do some real smooth talking and sucking up to get his way and Kristoff knew it.

"Look Kris, I'm sorry about ditching you, but I didn't have a choice." Jack conceded, placing his hands in front of him as if in prayer.

"I don't want to hear it traitor," Kristoff grumbled, typing in figures to his computer.

They were currently located in a trailer that had no air conditioning at the entrance of the newly constructed subdivision. The blond man was irritated and sweaty, definitely in no mood for Jack's excuses.

"But, Kris," he begged, noticing the faltering expression on his best friend's face, "you don't understand! She was there and she was gorgeous and she needed my help and I couldn't just leave her!"

"What ever happened to 'bros before hoes'?" was Krisoff's last ditch effort at a resistance.

"Kris, she is not a hoe!" Jack insisted fiercely, "She is just, ah! I can't even describe her!"

Kristoff rolled his eyes at Jack, shaking his head cynically. There he went again, chasing another skirt. He didn't know what he was going to do with the slighter man.

"So do you forgive me?" Jack begged with a certain grin.

A mumbled 'fine' was all he received as he jumped into the air excitedly. "Awesome! Now I need your help!"

"With what?" Kristoff ground out, glaring hatefully at his slow computer.

"I need you to help me do contracting stuff," Jack had no idea how else to classify what Kristoff did for a job.

"What?!" Kristoff asked skeptically, he really didn't need this right now.

"Yeah man, just, you know, coach me or something," Jack explained.

"Why do you need me to do that?" Kristoff took his eyes off of his computer to scrutinize Jack.

Jack was beginning to get impatient as he paced around the hot trailer anxiously. If Kristoff didn't help him then he was screwed. He hadn't the first clue what it was the blond did and he wanted more than anything to keep his precarious job at The North Pole so he had an excuse to spend time with Elsa.

"You know, the girl that took me up on stage…" Jack began tentatively, already losing his friend to an incredulous expression, "come on man don't dismiss this so easily!"

"What makes her different than any of the other girls you've dated?" Kristoff asked, returning his gaze to his computer, "You never maintain a relationship more than two weeks. Why should I waste my time?"

Jack looked at the top of Kristoff's desk pensively, "I don't know man," he began thoughtfully, "I just can't get her out of my head. I'd like to think that I feel about her the way that you felt about Anna."

With this, Kristoff looked up again from his computer with a bewildered expression. Anna had been his entire world. She had been his soul mate and after she died it was like a part of him had vanished and he was left with an incomplete feeling that haunted him even three years later.

"I don't know Jack, maybe I should save you from the heartache," Kristoff murmured morosely.

"No," was Jack's ardent response, and Kristoff met his imploring gaze steadily. "I want to know how you felt. I want to keep feeling this feeling at any cost. It's got to be better than this emptiness I've been going through for so many years…"

Kristoff's determination waivered. Jack had never seemed so determined in all the time that he had known him and it really wasn't his place to deny his friend what he wanted if it was within his power to help him.

"Alright man," Kristoff yielded, "hey you know what they say, 'Misery loves company' and I assure you if this goes badly you will be miserable."

Jack nodded with understanding, not truly aware of just what misery felt like…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I hope I did well with expressing the emotions they were feeling for one another. I think I have lost the talent for that after not writing for so many years. I listen to a lot of music while I write these chapters and a lot of songs that I mention give the feeling or words I am trying to portray. So please listen to the lists I leave in the Author's Notes if you like.
> 
> Songs:
> 
> "Angel" sung by Sarah McLachlan's
> 
> Translation from Google Translate:
> 
> "Hey, boy" [1]
> 
> "Do you understand?" [2]
> 
> "Good" [3]


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Oh my God Farin you just don't understand how awful it was!" Elsa spoke in an exasperated tone as she sat back stage at The North Pole with said friend listening intently, "it was so _awkward_!"

They were occupied behind stage, stretching slowly after a practice session for the following night. Music was playing softly in the background filling the space they occupied with pleasant melodies. Elsa was grudgingly relaying the previous night's experiences with Blake Pitch to Farin, who was practically rolling on the floor in mirth at Elsa's expense.

"I swear if he wasn't helping us fund the renovations I wouldn't even look twice at him," Elsa continued as she glared half-heartedly at the woman across from her while leaning forward to grasp the arch of her foot with both hands and stretch her hamstring.

"Well what do you expect?" Farin commented, "He's rich, and most rich men are boring. All they can do is talk about themselves and their things."

"Which is exactly what he did!" Elsa attested vehemently, looking at Farin with a livid expression.

Oh the night had been terrible! He had taken her out to dinner at some fancy place she could have never afforded in an obvious attempt to show off. He then proceeded to order for her without even asking what she wanted. He assured her that she would like the meal and at this she had settled down a little.

While waiting on the meal he insisted that she have a glass of their most expensive wine while he droned on and on about his work as head of some big-wig advertisement company that she didn't know or care about. Once the meal arrived in a timely fashion, Elsa took to staring at it disgustedly as it was some foreign meat swimming in butter that the restaurant tried to pass off as a roux.

After picking at here meal, and feeling slightly tipsy after a glass of wine on an empty stomach, he led her to his vehicle with a hand at the small of her back that put her on edge despite her slight inebriation. The drive back to her apartment above The North Pole was silent as her head began to spin slowly.

Blake must have taken this as some sort of sexual tension as he made to place a hand on her thigh. Glaring angrily at him, she had crossed her left leg over her right and leaned away from him.

The thought of him touching her sent a disgusted shiver down her spine as she relived the story while telling Farin with animated gestures.

"And then he even had the nerve to lean in for a kiss!" she shouted, shuddering distastefully.

"You aren't serious?!" Farin egged on, loving Elsa's animated commentary.

Jack had found himself eavesdropping on the lady's conversation for several minutes now. He grinned to himself at the tones in Elsa's voice. She was very different around her friends. She was unguarded, verbal, witty and funny. He found himself hoping that she would come to act that way around him in the time that they would inevitably be spending together.

Upon realizing that the topic of discussion was a date that she had gone on with the Englishmen named Pitch he had found himself feeling a little annoyed and jealous. She had so easily turned him down the other day and it had stung to hear that she yielded to the other man's advances.

Sure, he knew that she was only going out with him for his money, but Jack was a great guy! Any girl would love to go out on a date with him! He was attentive and fun, and what girl didn't love that about a man? He was also brave, persistent and thoughtful. He knew how to make a girl happy…

"What the bloody hell are you doing out here wanker?"

"Oh shit," Jack grit out as he spun round to see Bunnymund climbing the right side stage stairs.

A roguish grin came across his features. He had been caught. He was going to be in trouble for this one. He could hear the two women moving around on the opposite side of the curtain and backed away slowly.

Elsa peered through the curtains, taking note of an irritated Easton and a sheepish looking Jack… Had he been listening to her this whole time?!

Jack withdrew further, taking another step toward the front of the stage as Elsa came out from behind the curtain completely followed by Farin. The look that overcame Elsa's face was one of guarded concern as she seemed to be contemplating the situation.

"What all did you hear?" she asked threateningly as she approached Jack determinedly.

"All of it," Jack confessed with a smirk and a smug expression, wanting to get a reaction out of the pale beauty, "date of disaster hum? Wouldn't've been like that if you went out with me."

Elsa could feel a blush rising up the back of her neck and over the tips of her ears at Jack's comment. He was going to tease her in front of her friends unless she could do something about it and quickly…

"Would the two of you please excuse us?" she turned to look at Farin and Easton with an imploring expression.

Without much more insistence, they did as asked with Easton chuckling tauntingly at Jack. The white haired man glared hatefully at the taller man before he turned his full attention to Elsa. She had an unreadable expression on her face as she regarded him and this unnerved Jack. What was she thinking?

"Go ahead and get it all out," said with an irritated sigh.

Jack raised an eyebrow, "Now that's no fun," he scoffed with a sense of disappointment, "you're supposed to get all huffy."

"Well I'm sorry, but I'm no conformist," she shot back with a smug smile at his dissatisfaction.

Jack gave her a toothy grin as he studied her haughty demeanor. What he wouldn't give to take her out and get to know her better. She was so unique and complex. No woman had ever fascinated him as much as Elsa did. What could he do to get her to accept…?

A mischievous look passed over Jack's face and Elsa had to suppress her urge to take a step back. He was planning something devious, she just knew it…

"So how did Pitch feel about this date the two of you had?" he began, figuratively maneuvering her into a corner.

"He thought it was 'simply splendid'," she quoted, not seeing the direction that his scheme was going in.

"Then I suppose he wants to take you out on another?" Jack continued, backing her into the corner slowly, so to speak.

"Unfortunately," Elsa answered, looking at Jack with suspicion. Just what was he getting at?

"Ok well if that's the case then go out with me," it was a simple statement, but practically a demand and Elsa couldn't help but furrow her brown in uncertainty.

"I told you that I wanted a platonic working relationship with you Jack," she insisted, backing away as he began to approach her steadily.

Jack had her right where he wanted her and a confident smirk broke out on his face. She had no idea what he planned to do and now she was going to be caught in his trap. He backed her into an alcove behind the back stage curtains where a small set of props called home.

"You don't have a choice now, Elsa," he murmured, enjoying the angry expression that came across her features.

"What are you talking about?!" she snapped, not liking the way this conversation was turning out. He was so cocky and confident that it almost infuriated her, almost.

"Date me, or I will tell Pitch that you are only interested in him for his money," Jack bartered.

"You wouldn't?!" Elsa hissed out at him, wishing the intensity of her glare would smack that smug look off his face.

"You don't know me very well, but you will," Jack assured with a playful chuckle. He meant no harm to her and there was no menace in his word or gestures. He simply wanted to have the upper hand at that very moment.

"You see I look at my situation one of two ways," he began and Elsa listened, "I could either ignore the way I feel and not have your company or I could blackmail you and possibly get you to say yes," he explained gesturing with his left hand at the first scenario and then his right with the second.

Elsa looked at him with an expression of stunned surprise. Oddly enough, what he said made perfect sense and she felt her anger slowly melting away…

'I must be out of my mind to not be pissed off at him,' but Elsa knew that she was sane. What she didn't know was why she was interested in the idea of going out on a date with Jack.

Not witnessing a figurative or literal explosion of outrage from the woman before him, Jack began to feel a sense of hope. He watched as she studied him guardedly before seeming to come to a conclusion as she inhaled softly.

"Fine," she yielded and was startled as Jack cheered in victory while dancing around animatedly.

Elsa couldn't help the smile that crossed her face and hastily dispelled it as Jack looked upon her with an elated grin. She was going to be in trouble now, she just knew it…


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On to the first date! I think this chapter is super cute! Jack and Elsa start to get to know one another and a little bit of their sad pasts are revealed. Please read and enjoy!

Chapter 7

"Sure is a nice day isn't it?" Jack asked, hoping to build up a gradual conversation as he and Elsa travelled at a gradual pace through the city.

The day in question was slightly chilly with a soft breeze causing cheeks to become rosy and pink. The sun was out and not a cloud was present in the sky as the hum of the hustle and bustle of the city surrounded them. The streets were slightly crowded, drawing the two into somewhat close proximity as Jack lead Elsa along to what he referred to as an 'Amazing Date of Mystery and Fun'.

Elsa had rolled her eyes at this, hoping to put him off of her as soon as possible. She was going to act as obnoxious as she possibly could so he would lose his interest, or at least that was her own cleverly devised plan.

Acting on her plan, she answered shortly, "I guess."

Jack slouched over dejectedly, having been trying to initiate a running dialog for the past thirty minutes and being thwarted by Elsa at every turn.

"You aren't going to make this easy on me, are you?" he asked with a minimal glare to the side.

"You didn't make it easy on me when you blackmailed me, so why shouldn't I return the favor?" she answered curtly, ignoring his glare with a haughty tilt of the chin.

"Point taken," Jack muttered, noticing that that was the most she had said to him since he had knocked on her loft door above The North Pole to pick her up for their midday date. Not yet discouraged, he continued, "but can you blame me?" he asked with a grin.

Elsa returned his earlier glare, not having a ready answer for this question. He had been very insistent in wanting to get to know her. She supposed that she was grateful that he didn't seem to just be trying to get into her pants.

Felling the slightest bit of sympathy and appreciation for his efforts, she said softly, "It is a nice day."

Jack looked over at her with a hopeful expression at her willing response and continued to walk with a satisfied smile on his lips. She was going to give him a chance and he was not going to disappoint. If there was one thing about him that was a redeemable quality, it was that he truly knew how to have some fun!

"So where are we going?" Elsa asked, not choosing to bestow him with a glance.

"Uh-uh, Queenie, not telling. You don't want to spoil the surprise now do you?" Jack grinned, loving the fact that she was practically squirming with anticipation.

Elsa did choose to look at him at that moment with a heated glare, "Don't think that just because you glare at me it'll get you what you want. I'm not that easy." Jack chided with a mischievous smirk.

Snorting in irritation, she allowed the topic to drop as they continued to walk in companionable silence. The silence itself was not awkward and the pair of them were incredibly grateful for this fact. It was strange that, not knowing the smallest detail about him, she felt so comfortable near him… They bumped elbows occasionally, avoiding colliding with other people as the crowd surged around them. Jack found himself stealing appreciative glances at her and Elsa could feel each one. She was grateful for the chilly breeze having already tinted her cheeks pink.

"Ok," Jack started, drawing her attention, "I have a game that I want to play, if you choose to accept."

Elsa looked at him curiously, internally contemplating the pros and cons, "What kind of game?" she asked suspiciously.

Realizing that the bait was taken he twisted his torso slightly to engage her further in conversation, "20 Questions!"

Elsa gave a short, surprised laugh as she noticed Jack's grin growing wider, "You want me to guess what you're thinking?"

"No, I want to know more about you," he answered, entertained by the alarmed look that came to her expression, "I want to ask you 20 questions, and get honest answers."

"I don't know," she shifted slightly away before being forced back into close vicinity due to the crowd.

Jack's smile faltered slightly in disappointment as he insisted, "Come on, it'll be fun!"

Elsa scrunched up her face in dismay, not enjoying his persistence. She was almost certain that he would not let this go. To avoid any further irritation she conceded with a condition.

"Fine," she began, forcing back the smile that wanted to overtake her face at Jack's elated expression, "but you can only ask me questions that you wouldn't mind answering yourself."

Jack tilted his head to the side, contemplating the possibilities of her condition before agreeing a second later eagerly, "Deal! Ok first question. Hmmm…"

Elsa chuckled softly; he certainly didn't waste any time.

"What is," he paused for dramatic effect and glanced over at Elsa conspiratorially, "you favorite color?!"

Elsa clenched her jaw shut to restrain her laughter, but could not keep the smile from her face as she answered simply, "Blue."

"Mine too!" Jack cheered excitedly, looking over at her with a mock-surprised expression.

"What a coincidence," Elsa added, rolling her eyes slightly before settling back into a moment of silence.

"Ok next question," but that moment was short lived, "what is the weirdest thing you find attractive in a person?"

"That's an odd question," Elsa commented, before thinking about it intently.

Jack watched her closely, memorizing her features and committing them to memory. Her brow furrowed as she contemplated her answer, her eyes glanced off to the side in thought and he could even spy the smallest bit of pink sticking out of the corner of her mouth…

'She sticks out her tongue when she's thinking?! How cute!'

She was so beautiful…

"It's silly," she murmured, looking away bashfully, and Jack had to restrain the urge to kiss her.

"I'll tell you if you tell me," he coerced, now even more eager to hear her response.

Biting her lip, she looked up at Jack from under hooded lashes and noticed him gulp back thickly, "I like a man's shoulders and back," she confessed, looking away entirely to hide her face.

That really was an odd one, but the oddness escaped him as he studied her again. She was just so unbelievably tempting. Jack found himself reaching out to her as she faced away from him shyly, before jerking his hand back as if burned as she looked at him accusingly.

"You're turn!" she insisted, and he could tell that she was blushing madly despite her wind burned cheeks.

Blinking to regain his composure, Jack answered with a thoughtful smile, "What I find attractive is something that you wouldn't think," he teased, and relented as she glowered at him cutely, "I love the sound of laughter, especially if it's the laughter of someone I love."

The look that he gave Elsa held so much meaning that she had to avert her gaze for fear of getting sucked into his eyes and losing all sense of reason.

"What is the nicest thing that someone could say about you?" Elsa looked back at him quizzically, the meaningful look still present but not as smothering.

Elsa had to take another minute to think about this question. She had never really put much value into what other people said about her. After the death of her loved ones, she had put up a wall to keep everyone out. There were only a handful of people currently in her life whose opinions actually mattered.

"Maybe that I'm kinder than I let on; I don't know."

"I would agree with that," Jack concurred, "I think, despite my being a delinquent, that people would say I'm fun to be around."

Elsa nodded her own agreement, giving him a subconscious smile.

"Ok, do you know any other languages and if so what?"

"That counts as two questions by the way," Elsa warned.

"You're actually keeping track?!" Jack asked animatedly, "I thought we were having fun?"

" _You're_ having fun," Elsa corrected, "I'm not comfortable being at the mercy of your interrogation," she teased, sticking out her tongue at him jokingly.

Jack huffed dejectedly, slouching over slightly in a defeated manner, drawing out a giggle from the woman beside him. He really did love the sound of her laugh…

"I do know another language. I speak Norwegian and a little Russian."

Jack looked over at her curiously. Recalling that Kristoff was Norwegian he mentioned, "My best friend is Norwegian."

Elsa was slightly intrigued, "Oh yeah, what's his name?"

"Kristoff," Jack answered offhandedly.

"Kristoff Svenson?" Elsa asked, a look of shock crossing her features. Anna's boyfriend…?

"Yeah?!" Jack answered with a surprised laugh, "Wait, how do you know Kristoff?"

Elsa gave him a look of apprehension, uneasy that the topic of her family was coming about. If she told him of the relationship between Kristoff and Anna he would end up asking her about her family and then ask her more about her past that she wanted to keep buried. She did not want to reopen old wounds…she did not want to feel that pain again.

"Can we change the topic?" she asked, picking up the pace and walking ahead of Jack, wanting to hide her troubled expression.

"No! How do you know Kristoff?" he insisted, reaching out to grasp gently at her arm and halt her escape.

He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, Elsa held closely to him as people continued to swarm around them. He searched her eyes desperately, looking for a clue as to what had caused her reaction. What did Kristoff mean to her?

"Did you date him?" he asked with a sense of jealousy taking a hold of him.

"No!" Elsa protested vehemently, glaring angrily up at Jack as he held her close to his chest with gentle hands on her upper arms. She noticed the look of concern on his face, and softened her next response, "No, we never dated. Please can we just drop it?"

Jack continued to look upon her with uncertainty. What was she avoiding the topic so desperately for? He took note of the sadness that came upon her countenance and was reminded of the day he saw her dancing on stage when she thought no one else was around. He did not ever want to be the one to cause that expression on her face. He would just ask Kristoff about it later.

Smiling brightly and disarmingly he released her and took a step back. Several people came to pass between them as they studied each other for another minute. They were both so desperate to hide their pain, but in time it would eventually reach the surface. Just not right then…

"Alright, alright," Jack caved, "come on, we're almost there."

Elsa could feel a sigh of relief escape her as he continued his earlier stride and she fell into step beside him once more. Another block and they arrived at their destination.

Elsa looked up quizzically, "An arcade? How old do I look to you?" she asked with a dubious expression on her face as she glanced over to Jack.

"Oh come on, party pooper! It'll be fun!" Jack insisted as he ushered her into the dimly lit facility.

The remainder of the afternoon was filled with laughter and excitement. The arcade had not been too busy as it was the afternoon on a school day. After several heated rounds of Tekken, where Elsa happened to wipe the floor with Jack, they played an embarrassing game or two of DDR. And after that a series of air hockey and basketball before the two of them began to get hungry. Luckily the arcade sold pizza by the slice. After buying two, they settled down to eat the greasy pies, chatting about nonessentials before the questioning continued after another moment of chewing.

"Ok," Jack began playfully, "if you could have any super power what would it be?"

Elsa smiled at the ridiculousness of the question, "I always did like Ice Man in the X-Men movies," she supplied by way of answer.

"Oh yeah he is awesome! I like his powers too!" grinning amicably, Jack did a double take at her answer, "Wait you watched the X-Men movies?"

"Do I look like I live under a rock or something?" she grumbled out with a glower, setting aside her crust to sip at her coke.

"No," Jack chuckled lightly, "you just don't seem like the kind of person who…" he paused, not quite knowing how to finish his response.

"Who watches television?" Elsa supplied to a nod from Jack, "Well I do. I don't normally have too much time for it, but I'll watch it occasionally when I need a break from the world."

Jack let out a noise of acceptance before continuing on his examination, "If you could do any job in the world without any consequence or concerns of money, what would it be?"

Elsa smiled wistfully at this question, "That's easy. I would teach children how to dance."

Jack looked upon her with a sweet smile before drawing back with a quizzical expression as Elsa gave him an expectant one.

"Oh, me? What would I do?" he clarified with a chuckle, "You know, I think I'd be satisfied to just have a job, but if I could do something to make kids happy, that's what I'd want to do."

Elsa believed him as he looked wistfully around himself, "Maybe be an arcade owner where all the games are free!"

Elsa laughed softly, the meal was coming to a close, and they had run out of quarters before they stopped to eat. The day was beginning to wind down and the two of them were aware of this fact. Rising from his seat, Jack gestured to Elsa with a low, cordial bow as she slid out of her chair to stand. She rolled her eyes at his teasing and grabbed her plate and Jack's to toss them away.

The air outside had gotten cooler and the wind speed had picked up noticeably as they made their way back to The North Pole.

"Are you cold?" Jack asked

"No," was the simple answer as the two walked along the busy streets of the city.

Elsa had taken to falling into step beside Jack. He fell silent after that and Elsa wondered for a moment why he hadn't chosen to continue the conversation. Jack was a regular Chatty Kathy that day and it puzzled her for there to be a moment of silence between them.

She glanced over at him to take notice of his pensive expression as he guided the two of them surly through the growing throng of people. His hands were buried in the pockets of his ever present blue hoodie. The article of clothing almost seemed to be that of a security blanket to the man and she wondered if there happened to be a story hidden there somewhere.

Jack was a curiosity to her. He walked casually beside her, very similar to that of a friend rather than a suitor. He gave her space and allowed her to make her own decisions and that was absolutely more than she could have said about Pitch. Thinking back on their horrendous date, she found herself cringing. Jack truly was unique as they continued on in peaceful silence before Elsa felt the urge to break it.

"Are _you_ cold?" she parroted, taking note of the amused expression he passed her way before shrugging.

"Not really."

And once again they fell into a companionable silence for another minute before Elsa felt the urge to interrupt yet again, "I always loved fall and winter," she stated simply.

"Why is that?" Jack asked after a moment of pause.

Elsa hesitated a second to get her thoughts in order to answer the question simply, "I love the colors in fall," she smiled as she took note of the changing foliage of the trees that lined the streets, "And I actually enjoy the cold. I like to put on layers and drink warm drinks outside and fireplaces are nice too," a thoughtful expression crossed her face as she added, "but I think I love the snow most of all."

Jack smiled enthusiastically at her, his eyes casting down to the track they walked on a moment later as he said, "I like the snow too. I was a wiz at making snow forts and I always used to have snowball fights with my little sis–," Jack paused in his sentence as he felt a tickle in his nose that warned him of oncoming tears and a tightening in his throat and chest that signaled a fresh bought of grief. He hadn't thought about his family in years, preferring to ignore his pain.

Elsa looked over to Jack as a pained expression came upon him. His sister… Something bad must have happened to her. Elsa regarded him with pity before shaking the act away. She had never wanted to be pitied when she had lost her loved ones. She had wanted to know that someone out in the world had felt the pain that she had. She wanted to meet that person and let out her feelings to them. Maybe Jack could be that person…

With a deep intake of breath, Elsa added, "I would make snowmen with my sister," the tears began to build up in her eyes and her voice cracked minimally, "we also made snow angels…"

Jack looked over to Elsa, a sense of understanding coming over him as he watched her lift her chin to hold back the tears. She had experienced a loss as well, he just knew without her even saying it. She also seemed to know that he was grieving too and had taken it upon herself to console him in any way she could. This helped him greatly; it let him know that he wasn't alone in this world. He wasn't the only one in pain, and maybe they could help to heal one another in time.

Elsa flinched slightly as she felt cool fingertips brush the back of her hand before coming to clasp gently around her fingers. She looked over to Jack to see him smiling sadly at her before glancing down to see his hand holding onto hers. This feeling was so different, it was so soothing and comforting and she held onto it desperately, not wanting to release it for the world. She tightened her grasp slightly around Jack's and smiled back at him softly as his own smile grew. With that they continued on their way back to the club.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I hope I did a good job expressing their feelings. This is one of my favorite chapters that I have ever written! Please give kudos, bookmark or comment!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you to all of the readers of this story. It means a lot to me that several people have hit, bookmarked, commented, or subscribed. I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter.

Chapter 8

Elsa could feel a dreadful chill run down her spine as she watched Blake approach her. The man's presence was something that she wished to avoid entirely. Over the past two weeks, she was practically forced to go out with him five times.

She was afraid to break things off with him romantically until after the renovations were complete. She was certain that the man was just the sort to take a lack of romantic interest as an insult and then withdraw from the deal all together. At this point, they had already purchased supplies and hired a crew and were about to break ground.

The renovations were on the verge of beginning and Elsa was practically sick with anticipation. She desperately wanted for it to be completed so she could move on to this next chapter in her life. She also wanted it to be over so she could tell off Blake.

"Elsa, darling how are you this evening?" his voice was dripping with a certain arrogance that irritated her to no end.

"I am well, Blake. How are you?" she answered simply, turning to North and Jack in hopes that they could make a good distraction for her so she could send Blake on his way for the night.

Jack glanced up from the floor plan he and North studied at the sound of Elsa's voice. Oh, great; it was Blake. The man was like a cockroach. Jack raised a petulant eyebrow at Elsa as she looked to him in desperation; her back was turned to Pitch so he was unable to see her expression.

'What do you want me to do about it? You're the one that won't just turn him down.' Jack thought irritably, if not also a little jealously.

Pitch had made his presence at the club very well-known over the past two weeks as he had insisted on stealing away as much of Elsa's time as he deemed necessary. The very fact irritated Jack to a level that wasn't what he considered normal for himself so he chose to do his best to hide it. At that very moment, though, he was having a hard time…

Elsa ventured over to the pair that was set up at the stage going over the floor plan with Pitch following close behind. Jack had given her an irritated look and she knew all too well what it meant. He was mad at her, even though he had absolutely no right to be. It wasn't like they were dating each other exclusively or anything. At that very moment, she wished he would be on her side as she was about to use him to stay away from Pitch for as long as possible…

"So how long do you think it will take to finish?" she asked, coming to stand by North.

He would keep Pitch away from her, as the dark man could not stand to be within arm's reach of North. After all North was a very touchy-feely kind of person; he enjoyed a good back pat and a jovial push every now and again. As predicted the man stayed a good six feet away from North as Elsa settled in less than a foot away from his left side.

"It depends," Jack answered cryptically.

Elsa knew that he was doing it to be annoying, so she snapped back, "Depends on what?"

"On when we get started," Jack answered back sweetly, with a toothy grin.

Elsa found herself rolling her eyes at his childish behavior. Why couldn't he just quit being such a brat?

"Well then when are we going to get started?"

"There you go. Ask the right questions and you'll get the right answers," Jack commented smugly as he leaned back against the side of the stage.

Elsa felt like slapping him.

"If we start immediately, we can probably finish up before it starts getting too cold. There really isn't that much to do to finish the job," Jack began, speaking confidently as he was in his element, "We just need to tear down the stage and turn the bar into a waiting area. We also need to develop a foyer thing up by the front door."

"A foyer-thing?" Pitch questioned snidely.

"Yes, a foyer-thing," Jack answered back sarcastically, "We can make that into a receptionist area. That will lead around the outer wall to the waiting area and then onto the dance floor, which should be pretty spacious."

Elsa could not contain the smile that was growing on her face as she listened excitedly. Her dreams were going to come true all thanks to Jack. Really if it hadn't been for his quick thinking in her dressing room and even his volunteered assistance, this may not be happening at that very moment. After this, and even now, he would always hold a special place in her heart.

The smile that broke out onto Elsa's face was not lost on him and, at that, Jack decided to go easier on her. She was most likely being coerced into the dates she had to suffer through with the dark man and he just didn't have the heart to hold that against her for forever.

"Eto sovershenno udivitel'noye!" [1] North cheered out, clasping onto Jack's upper arms and shaking him slightly in his excitement.

At that very moment, an idea was formulated in Elsa's mind. She placed a gentle hand on North's arm to calm his excitement as he released Jack. The slighter man stumbled back dizzily against the stage as he tried to regain his footing.

"So if we start this project sooner rather than later, what kind of a timeline are we looking at?" Elsa asked, setting her plan into motion.

"I'd say before Christmas at the latest," Jack answered, glancing down at his floor plan and failing to see the significant look in Elsa's eyes.

"Zamechatel'nyy!" North cheered, thrusting his hands into the air.

'That's right North, keep speaking Russian,' Elsa thought, continuing on in her plan, "You've been having a difficult time understanding North though, haven't you?" her words were slightly stressed as she gave Jack a meaningful look that wasn't lost on him this time.

"Lyubov', I speak good," North chastised before straightening up slightly in realization as she gave him a glare.

"You speak _well_ North, well," she corrected, "I've been teaching him how to speak proper English for the last three years and this is as far as I've gotten," she explained with a smile to Pitch.

The dark man watched the exchange with a bored expression on his face.

"Vy vse yeshche khotite , chtoby ya govoril po-russki?" [2]

Elsa nodded to him minutely as she looked over at Jack's confused face, "If we begin the renovations immediately, what will the work hours look like?"

Jack finally caught on at this question. She was trying to supply Pitch with an excuse so she could avoid him! This was perfect!

"Despite the simplicity of the renovation it'll take a lot of man hours to get it done before the holidays. North over here also said he wanted to oversee the entire thing since it is his place of business. I'm a little worried that I might have trouble talking to him," Jack assisted with a grin, taking note of an irritated expression as it crossed Pitch's face.

"Well, I could translate for you," Elsa offered insistently.

"That is perfect idea lyubov'!" North exclaimed excitedly.

"I agree," Jack concurred, "it'd be very helpful in getting the renovations done quickly."

"Will we be able to see each other my pet?" Pitch asked uncertainly, drawing the group's attention.

Elsa had to restrain the urge to roll her eyes at the 'pet' name, "From the looks of it, that may be difficult, Blake," she answered with little sympathy, "I should also take my evenings to practice some choreography and get together some class curriculums so that I'll be prepared for when the studio opens. I can't run a dance studio if I'm not prepared after all."

A sour look crossed Blake's face as he agreed grudgingly, "If that is the case, then I will bid you a good evening my dear."

"Bye!" Elsa said excitedly before turning to look over the floor plan with North and Jack in a sign of dismissal.

"Clever girl," Jack murmured into her ear and smiled as he noticed it turning pink with a blush.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I know the excuse to avoid Pitch may be pretty weak, but to me the excuses that Saten and Christian used in the 2001 movie were pretty weak as well. Also, The Duke didn’t really put up much of a fight about it until later… So please comment and tell me what you think.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you to everyone who has read this story up to this point, subscribed, bookmarked or commented. This chapter was awfully fun to write. I love that Jack likes to play games so maybe he can coax Elsa into another date with a little friendly challenge.

Chapter 9

"Why are you always eating like a rabbit?" Jack asked with humor in his voice as he sat down across from Elsa with a tray of fries and a juicy burger.

Elsa lifted a delicate brow at him in an almost irritated fashion before continuing to poke around at her chicken salad, "Well, Jack, not all of us can afford to eat like a pig. What are you doing here anyway? And when do you have time to watch me eat?"

Elsa had been eating her salad in silence as she glanced through a fashion magazine of some sort before she would head back into The North Pole to continue in her help with the renovations. She had not expected Jack to follow her, or to be occupying the seat across from her as he smiled at her broadly. She had been attempting to avoid his advances for weeks, but to no avail. He had continued to pester her and by pester it was more like entertain her with his charming wit and personality, but she would never let him know that.

"I prefer to say that I eat like a man," he grinned before slathering his fries with a healthy helping of ketchup, "Do you actually enjoy eating like that?" he countered, choosing to ignore the question about his presence at her table and the fact that he watched her eat.

"Sometimes…" Elsa answered cryptically as she cast her gaze down to her food.

"Do you ever eat anything unhealthy?" Jack continued, popping a fry into his mouth and savoring the flavor with a sultry, "Mmmm-mmm."

"Occasionally…" she just put a variation on her previous response and tilted her head to rest it on the knuckles of her left hand.

Jack raised an eyebrow at her, his grin not deterred by her evasiveness. He just realized that he would need to try a new angle. "Well what do you eat that is unhealthy?"

Elsa sighed noticeably, realizing that Jack was just not going to let up on this conversation. "Eggs," she stated matter-of-factly.

"You mean you eat the yolks and everything?" he asked with a tone of fake wonder.

Jack chuckled lightly as Elsa glowered darkly at him. Not dissuaded by her sour mood he continued, "Well what about bacon?"

"What about bacon?" Elsa parroted, wanting to be difficult now that she knew he was teasing her.

"Do you like it?" Jack pressed, his grin going wider at Elsa's indirect playfulness.

"Not particularly," she finally answered, skewering a piece of cut chicken none-too-gently.

Jack looked at her as if she had grown another head, "What are you, a communist?"

It took all of Elsa's dignity not to growl darkly at him as she chose to ignore his irritating comment, "Listen here, Jack Frost, what do you think the parents of the children that I will be teaching to dance will think if their instructor is a chubby bunny?"

Jack released another charming chuckle at Elsa's reference to 'chubby bunny'. He smiled sweetly at her as she looked up at him through the curtain of her bangs. Despite herself and knowing better, she liked to make Jack smile and laugh. He was truly the most handsome with a carefree expression on his face. But the reality was that she was a burlesque dancer, and until the renovations to the club were complete, that is what she would always be.

"Also," she began, wanting to bring a little bit of a reality check into the conversation for herself and Jack, she added, "I am a burlesque dancer," she noted the sudden look of awareness that came into his eyes even though his facial expression continued to remain playful, "and even though some burlesque dancers are known to be curvier, I like to keep the image of my persona."

"The Ice Queen." Jack murmured in answer, his smile becoming slightly somber.

Elsa nodded and continued her meal. She really needed to put a stop to this. Because of one lousy date and a lap dance, this guy would not leave her alone and she could not for the life of her understand why. In some ways it was refreshing that some random stranger would take such a personal interest in her, but it was mostly just irritating.

'Time to break out the big guns,' Elsa though as she glanced up at Jack and his somewhat somber expression. It was better to push him away now before the feelings got too strong.

"So, how many women have you slept with?"

"Shit," Jack gasped out, chocking on the half chewed remains of a French fry as he coughed, "what the hell kinda question is that?!"

"Well you want to get to know me; maybe I want to get to know you. Do you want to know how many men I've slept with?" Elsa asked rudely, the infliction in her voice that of boredom.

Jack glared half-heartedly at her before unexpectedly breaking out into a fit of laughter. Elsa could feel the heat in her cheeks building as she frowned at the excited man. She was making a serious attempt to put him off of her and it just wasn't working!

"What, may I ask, is so funny?" she seethed.

"Nothing," proceeded by a lighter bout of chuckling, "man you are really itching to get rid of me aren't you?"

Elsa rolled her eyes, stabbing another piece of chicken angrily, "It's not working is it?" she asked despondently.

"Not at all. Listen at the risk of sounding like a creeper; you're going to have to get a restraining order to get me to stay away from you romantically," he admitted with a sweet smile.

"That's not creepy at all," Elsa mumbled sarcastically, glaring at Jack from underneath her bangs again, "Why do you insist on being so persistent?"

Jack had to think to himself for a minute at that question. He really had never been this way toward a woman; they mostly came to him after all. He had just felt something entirely different when it came to Elsa. It was like, from the moment they laid eyes on one another… Could it really be?

"What are your thoughts on love at first sight?" he answered her question with a question.

"Don't be ridiculous," Elsa chided briskly, "you are just in love with my body."

"Wow, conceited much?" Jack joked, reveling in the angry blush to her cheeks, "I wasn't even talking about the lap dance, Elsa. I was talking about before then."

"Before then…?" she had to think about what exactly he meant.

They hadn't ever met before the club, had they?

"What are you talking about?" she surrendered to her curiosity.

"You don't remember?" Jack asked, feigning a look of hurt as Elsa rolled her eyes belligerently, "I saw you peeking out from the curtain."

Realization dawned on Elsa. She remembered the pounding of her heart and the immediate attraction she felt toward him, but could that have really been love at first sight? She doubted it.

"Come on," Elsa made to downplay the situation, "you only caught sight of me for an instant. And even then, I doubt you were really able to get a good look at me."

"But the whole concept of 'love at first sight' is just that, 'love at first sight'! Love is blind too you know? So it didn't really matter what you looked like. Although, I have to admit that I'm not complaining," he admitted with a smug grin.

Elsa found herself rolling her eyes again. The whole situation was just so exasperating and the fact that she had to endure his presence every day was not helping. The more that she was near him the more he insisted on expressing his emotions and feelings and it was beginning to be a little unnerving. The act itself of his confessions wasn't what was unnerving, but the fact that she found that she began to not mind them all that much. The more time she spent with him the more she found herself smiling and actually being happy, and this was something that concerned her greatly.

Jack could tell that Elsa was in very deep thought over their romantic situation. He needed to make a move now to hopefully help secure her interests. Being with her day after day had become something important to him, and the thought of that continuing for much longer after the renovations were complete was something he wished for with a fierceness that was alarming. He knew that she found him intriguing and he was going to take full advantage of that.

"So, before you think better of it, go out on another date with me?" Jack asked, leaning forward over the small table to place his chin within the valley of his hands.

Elsa's look was skeptical. She was torn; she liked being near Jack. She enjoyed his presence and giving in to his advances would see them together. But was she ready to have her heart broken again? She really wasn't sure.

"Alright, let's make a game of it then," Jack suggested eagerly, "I'll give you three guesses as to what the date could possibly be. If you manage to guess correctly, then you can either choose to go or not."

"But if I guess wrong?" Elsa asked, falling for the temptation of the challenge presented to her.

"You _have_ to go with me and it'll be a complete surprise until we get there."

Elsa weighed her options against her ever mounting curiosity, "How will I know that you won't lie and say that I'm wrong when I'm actually right?"

"Because I've already got the tickets and there is a date and timestamp on them," Jack admitted with a come-hither grin.

"So tickets are involved," Elsa thought aloud, "that is an interesting clue."

"So do we have a deal?"

Elsa could feel the pressure of her curiosity becoming unbearable before she finally gave in with a sighed 'fine'.

Jack could feel the grin on his face growing, "Guess number 1."

Elsa thought for several moments, wanting Jack to squirm slightly in anticipation as she considered the possibilities. There were only so many things that called for a purchase of tickets. There were movies and sporting events and museums and that was really all she could think about…

"A movie," she finally supplied and received a shack of the head in the negative.

"Strike one," Jack chuckled, leaning back in his chair to gaze at Elsa through hooded eyes and with a satisfied expression.

"Strike?" Elsa thought aloud, "A baseball game?!"

"Nope, strike two," Jack couldn't help the building excitement he was going through as the game was nearing its end.

Elsa frowned thoughtfully, concerned about the possibility of losing the game. She would then _have_ to go out on this date with him no matter what. Maybe it was a bad idea to have accepted his challenge, but it was too late to back out now.

"I don't know, a concert or something!" she snapped out, once again not liking being backed into a corner.

"What kind of concert?" Jack grinned, his heart picking up an increased tempo; she was close, but not close enough to give her the game.

"What kinds of concerts are there?" she grumbled back at him, not receiving any clarification to her question she breathed an exasperated sigh, "I don't know a musical one."

Jack left her hanging in a long torturous pause before, "EEERRRR! Wrong! Do not pass go, do not collect $200! And wear a dress!"

Elsa glared hatefully at him. She really did not like losing…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So what did you think?! Please comment and let me know!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry for the delay. I'm trying to stay at least one chapter ahead at all times. I loved writing this chapter. I think it speaks to the emotions that both of them are feeling. Please read and enjoy.

Chapter 10

Elsa restrained the urge to pace as she waited impatiently for Jack. It wasn't that he was late, and it certainly wasn't because she was excited! She was just…

'Ok, I'm excited,' she thought to herself.

She rolled her eyes at nothing in particular and checked herself in the mirror for what felt like the one hundredth time that evening. Her thigh high, navy blue, lace, sheath dress fit her like a glove and her pale blond hair was swept up into a French twist with a few tendrils falling out to frame her cheeks and jawline. She looked fabulous and no one could have convinced her otherwise. Her nude three inch heels clicked against the hardwood floor as she walked over to her bed and forced herself to sit down.

She wished that Jack didn't make her feel this way, and she spent the better part of the evenings preparations trying to convince herself that she was unfazed. However, after a certain point of denial one moves onto the next phase: acceptance.

She accepted the fact that there was a physical attraction there. She had known of it from the moment she laid eyes on him, but she could feel the beginnings of an emotional one accumulating as she fidgeted uselessly with the hem of her dress.

A knock upon her door startled her from her reverie and she had to force her limbs to move slowly so as not to seem over-eager. The way that Jack made her feel was inexplicable. She manipulated her expression into that of nonchalance as she opened her door slowly to reveal Jack leaning up against the jam and grinning at her. That ever present grin was contagious as she felt the corners of her lips curl.

"You clean up nice," he said by way of compliment.

"I was just about to tell you the same thing, Jack Frost," she chided as she looked him over from head to toe.

He wore comfortable looking loafers, a pair of dark crisp jeans and a white dress shirt along with a dark grey vest, narrow navy blue tie, and navy blue blazer under a rich caramel colored leather jacket.

Her appraisal was swift, and she tilted her head back slightly and to the side as she looked at him through hooded eyes, "I do believe we match."

Jack's look became quizzical as he glance down at himself, noticing the tie a moment later he held it between his thumb and index finger as he grinned back at her, "Ha, I swear that wasn't intentional. I told you I liked blue."

"I'll let it slide this time," Elsa grinned, "hold on, let me go grab my coat."

Jack beamed at her excitedly, enjoying the sight of her as she retreated into the room, "It's a nice place you got here!" he called out to her as he walked in.

Her queen size bed was stationed against the adjacent wall to his left, living room set to his right with shelves filled with ample amounts of books, and kitchen in the back right corner with a little round table in the middle. He spied a door on the wall parallel to the front door that Elsa went into and assumed that was her closet and most likely also her bathroom.

Elsa responded with a noncommittal noise as she immerged, wrapped in the warmth of her black pea coat, "It suits my needs," she added casually, "I love it actually," she admitted with a sweet expression.

Jack smiled back and turned to exit the flat with Elsa close at his heels. Once on the street, they huddled into the shelter of their coats as they walked along at a quick pace. The wind was brisk and cold and bit incessantly against any inch of bare skin.

"You know, I didn't even stop to think, is this place far away?" Elsa asked, thinking about the possibility of her aching feet as her heels clicked along the side walk.

"Not really, it's off of Broadway," he answered, crossing the street as he headed in the direction of the subway.

Elsa's eyes widened at the mention and her curiosity was once again peaked, "You said it wasn't a musical!" she called out, picking up her pace to catch up with him.

"It's not," Jack assured as he descended the stairs and smirked over his shoulder at her.

Once underground, they slowed their pace as the cold wind was no longer stinging their skin. Elsa came beside Jack as they moved to stand at the proper track, waiting for the next available train. She turned to her thoughts, imagining what they could possibly be heading to Broadway for.

"Your curiosity's just eating at you isn't it?" Jack asked with a mischievous look.

Elsa huffed at him indignantly and noticed the rich sound of his amused chuckle a second later, "Quit teasing me Jack," she pouted, peering up at him sweetly.

Jack smiled down at her, resisting the urge to wrap his arms around her waist and kiss her breathless. Elsa painted quite the tempting picture as she looked up at him with her wind burnt cheeks and pouting lips. Oh, if only he could just…

"Hey you aren't wearing your hoodie!" she said in astonishment.

Jack grimaced at the mention of his absent hoodie, feeling naked without it, "Yeah, the sacrifices I make to look nice for you," he teased, enjoying the increased intensity of her pout.

The train arrived soon after and the rest of the trip was in comfortable silence. Elsa could not help but realize that most of the times filled with silence between her and Jack were comfortable and even somewhat enjoyable. She loved that she didn't feel the need to fill the void of silence due to awkwardness and was relieved that Jack felt the same way. They truly didn't need to express themselves through words; they just understood one another well enough without them.

Upon arriving at the Broadway stop, they followed the minimal crowd out and onto the colorful strip. Not long after and they were arriving at the front of the Metropolitan Opera House. Elsa leered at Jack suspiciously.

"It's not a musical," he promised as they approached the grand arches of the entrance.

As they entered, Jack handed off the tickets to the usher, who greeted them politely and instructed them to take the stairs as he handed back their stubs. Following the directions, they mounted the stairs as Elsa glanced at her stub.

"Cinderella?" she asked curiously, "The play?"

"No, the ballet," Jack corrected with a kind expression and reveled in the surprised look that came to her face.

Elsa was stunned, to think that Jack would take her to a beautiful place like the Metropolitan Opera House to see a ballet. The tickets must have cost a pretty penny. She wondered momentarily that if she had guessed correctly on their earlier game and decided not to go if Jack still would have gone. Knowing Jack he probably wouldn't. He didn't seem to be the type to enjoy something like this as much as she would.

Upon reaching their directed level they were guided to their seats by another usher. Glancing down from the balcony as the theater filled up, Elsa could feel an excitement filling her up from the inside out. She had been to a few ballets as a young child with her family.

Thinking on her family for a moment brought her a pang of sadness before she shook it off. She was with Jack, and she would enjoy this experience as much as she would if she were with her family, because it was with _him_. It was with a man that understood her and wanted to be with her.

"So why did you pick Cinderella?" Elsa asked with a thoughtful expression on her face as she took in Jack's bashful countenance.

"Because I thought it would be the only one that I would have a clue as to what was going on," he chuckled self-consciously.

Elsa's smile broadened, "You're just too adorable," she didn't realize what she had admitted until it was too late.

"You think I'm adorable?" Jack grinned eagerly; his eyes alight with excitement and happiness.

Elsa turned away immediately with a furious blush. She was so very grateful that the lights within the gorgeous theater began to dim to help assist in her attempt to hide her shyness. There was just something about being around Jack that made her want to speak candidly. Perhaps it was his own spontaneous nature that had become infectious.

Jack could not help the smile that had broken out on his face at Elsa's admittance. She thought he was adorable. _She_ was adorable at that very moment as she hid away from his scrutinizing gaze. He could not see her face, but the tips of her ears had turned a pale shade of pink along with her neck. She was blushing! Jack felt as if he were in heaven. The girl that he loved had called him adorable and was blushing sweetly as she attempted to avoid his gaze.

Jack reached out for her hand, lacing his fingers through hers a moment later. With slow measured movements, he began to raise it toward his lips. He could feel her stiffen in unease, so he took his time, stroking his fingertips across her knuckles. Once at the desired destination, he rubbed his cheek against the back of her hand before moving it slowly to brush his lips over the soft delicate skin.

"Jack," her infliction was breathless as she turned to look at him, revealing her heated blush.

Her countenance was timid and he could feel her trembling slightly. She was nervous–or excited–he wasn't sure of which, so he decided to give her a break. He had made it a priority not to push her into something she wasn't ready for. He did not want to scare her away with the passion that he felt. He could tell that she was a guarded woman. He knew that she had a past that she would rather not share to the world and he wanted to respect that. He believed, in time, that she would see that he meant her no harm and only wanted to be with her. At least, that was what he hoped she would see.

"Alright, alright," he conceded, "I'll go easy on you. Just know that I think you're adorable too," he smirked mischievously at her as she turned her head away from him slightly to hide her blush once more, but by now it didn't really matter as he had already been witness to it.

The ballet was something that didn't really interest Jack. He had made the decision to bring Elsa to it because dancing was something that he knew she loved. But he had not expected to see the reactions that she showed on her face. He believed that Elsa saw herself as a stone wall with very little emotion or expression, but Jack knew otherwise.

He smiled softly at her as he witnessed a myriad of feelings pass across her face while she observed the proceedings of the ballet. Excitement, humor and awe just to name a few, but there was also an air of sadness for much of the performance and especially at the end. Jack was beginning to feel anxious as she got up to leave fifteen minutes before the final act ended. He found himself following after her with concern.

Once out on the city streets, the night air was brisk and unwelcoming. Their path was lit with light from street lamps as Jack trailed after Elsa's swift pace. He wasn't absolutely certain what the problem was, but he had an idea. He wanted to curse himself for his thoughtless actions, but thought better of it a moment later. She _needed_ to see that performance. It was motivating!

"Hey, Elsa," Jack called out to her, "slow down," his request was heeded and her stride slowed considerably until she came to a stop.

Jack watched as she refused to look at him. Her eyes were downcast and he knew that she was hiding her expression from him. He would not let her hide, however. He was going to insist that she rely on him. He was going to insist that he was a good shoulder to cry on and a good ear to bend. He was there for her, and he swore to himself that he always would be.

"How do you feel?" he asked softly, smiling at her sweetly even as she wasn't looking at him.

"How would you feel?" she began with a shaky voice, "How would you feel after years of anguish and sadness? How would you feel if you saw the one thing in your life that had brought you happiness unfold before your eyes in such a spectacular way. How would you feel, knowing that if you could have just been a little stronger, that maybe it could have been you up there instead? How would you feel?" tears had come to her eyes and Elsa was hard-pressed to hold them back as she gazed up to Jack.

"I would feel inspired," was Jack's simple, passionate answer.

Elsa looked upon him with a startled look of wonder, his icy blue eyes meeting hers with something unspoken. Something deep was hidden behind his expression and it pulled at Elsa's heart strings. It gripped at her and filled her with such warmth and comfort that she couldn't help but let a tear escape.

"But that's just me." Jack whispered softly with a gentle smile, lifting a hand to brush away her tears, "Who are you Elsa?"

"I'm a burlesque dancer," she admitted, in a last ditch attempt to discourage him and push him away.

She wasn't sure if she could put up much more of a fight after tonight. He had proven that he thought about her when she wasn't near. He had proven that he cared about her well-being. He had proven that he wanted to know her as a person and she wasn't sure if she could hide from him any more or even that she wanted to.

His soft smile was evidence enough that he did not believe the sincerity of her previous comment and he waited patiently for her to give a serious response.

"I'm a disappointment," she began and was relieved that he did not look at her with pity, "I'm heartbroken and alone and–and I'm a failure," she felt like telling him everything. She felt that it was finally the right time.

"I've always felt that way," Jack confessed, his face becoming somber as Elsa gazed up at him with surprise, "when my family died, it felt like the world had turned on me. It felt like I was alone and a failure. I spiraled out of control, but I recovered," he said with confidence as he took a step closer to Elsa, "and you're recovering now. You're going to achieve your dream. I just know it."

Elsa watched him with a look of wonder. This man understood her and her grief better than anyone and he wanted to be with her. She breathed a sigh of relief before turning to continue on their path, taking notice of a soft grin on Jack's face as he fell into step beside her.

Once again, the silence that spread out between them was comfortable. The night air bit at their exposed skin and they found themselves huddling together to stave off the cold. In reality, they were using the chilly weather as an excuse to get closer. Their pace was slow and leisurely and their path was illuminated in soft lamp light. The streets were less crowded this night as it was currently late in the evening.

All of this detail escaped Elsa as her thoughts were currently inward. She had just expressed herself to Jack so freely and she was toying with the idea of being slightly more intimate with him. She wasn't thinking of inviting him in to her loft or anything. No, her attempt at intimacy would be much more minimal than the normal oversexed populace would think. She was toying with the idea of holding his hand. She didn't want to excite him too much. She knew that if she showed him the slightest indication that she was interested in him intimately he might move faster than she was willing to.

She was wrestling with the thought of whether or not she minded his advances in the first place all the way to the other end of the subway train stop when, "If you want to hold my hand, then I'm gonna give you a fair warning," he breathed out with a smile on his face as he continued to look forward.

Elsa had been startled out of her reverie and glanced up at his profile in askance, "if you hold my hand, I'm _going_ to kiss you when I drop you off at your door."

Elsa found herself blushing again that night as she averted her eyes to their path.

"If you think you can live with that, then by all means," he continued, his countenance becoming mischievous as he took his right hand out of the pocket of his leather jacket and scrunched up his fingers several times in invitation.

A kiss, he wanted to kiss her when they arrived at her apartment? _Was_ she willing to live with that?

Long moments passed as she debated her thoughts and feelings and Jack just continued to wait patiently. Honestly, he would have been perfectly fine either way, but he hoped desperately that Elsa would take his hand. His smile grew broader as he felt the tentative brush of her fingers against his palm before they clasped between his own. He resisted the urge to look over at her, thinking that if he did she may jerk away her hand in reflex, but he knew that her smile was just as big as his. Tonight was turning out to be an amazing night.

As they continued down their path, Elsa's mind wandered to the thought of Jack's kiss. What would it feel like? Would he expect more after? Well if he did, then she would just have to show him the door! She wasn't that easy. She was so deep in her thoughts, that the next time she became aware, they were climbing the narrow flight of stairs that lead to her flat. The anticipation began to mount as they reached the top of the landing and she could feel her heart pounding around nervously in her chest.

She had never felt this way before about another person! What was the matter with her?! Then the mention of love at first sight came to mind and she began to panic further.

They came to a halt at her door and with a grin Jack turned to leave with a, "See you tomorrow, Elsa."

Before she could stop herself to think better of it she called out, "Wait!"

Jack smirked at her mischievously, having caught her off guard, "Oh so you _want_ me to kiss you?" he teased, "After you went quiet the rest of the way back I thought you might've changed your mind."

Elsa was trapped; she unknowingly fell into his trick. If she had just let him leave, then she could have gotten off scot-free, but she had reflexively stopped him. Maybe she did want him to kiss her. She did not respond to him, instead glancing off to the side with a slightly irritated expression on her face as she worried at her lower lip.

Jack chuckled as he approached her, "Ok, ok, I'll give you a break," he comforted as he came to a stop no more than a foot away from her and placed his hands on either of her shoulders.

Elsa's heart began to pound somewhere in the pit of her stomach as she titled her head back and closed her eyes tightly, waiting with nervous anticipation for his kiss. She waited, and waited, and–. She opened her eyes to take in his awed countenance. She had seen that look before, the night that she had danced for him, and it brought back memories of a heat and longing that she had denied herself after she realized he was not Pitch.

"Say you want me to kiss you," he asked of her gently as his eyes glanced between her lips and her eyes imploringly.

Elsa was so uncertain. Would it be alright for her to give in and enjoy herself with the man before her? Could she really give him her heart, as damaged and bandaged as it was? Could she really trust him with it? Could she trust him not to hurt her like so many others had?

It was only a kiss! Why was she thinking so much about it?! What did she want? She wanted to be happy. That was all she had ever really wanted in her life. Did Jack make her happy? She recalled all of the laughing and smiling that she had been doing in the weeks after she had met him and she deduced that, in some way, he did make her happy? Her mind was finally made up.

"I want you to–." she was cut off as his lips descended to take hers in a soft but heated kiss.

It was nothing too invasive, just a touch of his lips to hers before she felt the moisture of his tongue sweep across the part of her lips and she opened up to him willingly. He was gentle and patient as he teased her into play and it didn't take long before she began to participate eagerly.

She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks and ears and along the bridge of her nose in a deep blush as she reached out to grasp at his vest with both hands. She could feel everything, she could feel his arms as they came to wrap around her shoulders. She could feel her chest come into contact with his. She could feel the tip of his cold nose as it pressed into her cheek along with the flutter of his eyelashes and she never wanted it to end.

Jack was lost in the feeling of her softness. He wanted to envelope himself in her warmth and gentle touch. He wanted to be with her… He attempted to hold himself back. He knew that she would not sleep with him that night. He knew that he was lucky that she had even admitted to wanting to kiss him. That was why he hadn't even waited for her to finish. He was afraid that she would change her mind and that the moment would be lost. So he had swooped in and laid claim to her lips eagerly and he had shuddered as she had willingly accepted and played back.

He pressed her back against her door gently, fighting hard not to move too quickly, but restraining himself was difficult. She was just so very tempting as he could feel her breath panting out against his cheek and her tongue teasing against the roof of his mouth and along his teeth.

With significant effort, he broke the kiss and took a step back. He placed his hands back on her shoulders in an attempt to regain his composure as he looked down at her. This was a mistake as he felt his stomach clench with something akin to need. She was so beautiful. Her eyes were still closed with her head tilted back as she leaned up against her door almost limply. Her fingers still clutched at the front of his vest as she panted out softly.

"Wow," he breathed out, grasping both of her hands in his to hold them in the space between their bodies, "Ok, well, ummm, whew!" he chuckled out, relieved at the smile that broke out across her lips before she opened her eyes to meet his.

Elsa chuckled breathily, still not having quite regained her breath as she stood up straight again. That kiss had moved the world beneath her feet. She glanced down shyly with a soft blush to her cheeks and Jack grinned proudly. He had done that. He had made her breathless and passionate and he could not possibly be happier in that moment.

Not wanting to tempt himself further with the vision before him and the desire to take her to bed, he breathed out, "See you tomorrow, Elsa," with a smile, squeezing both of her hands before turning and heading down the steps, "Don't get all awkward on me tomorrow now that you know I'm an awesome kisser!" she could hear him calling back to her.

"Conceited much!?" she snapped back, grinning at the chuckle she heard in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Please comment and let me know what you think!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I love writing dates for Jelsa. It's just so much fun. Please read and enjoy.

Chapter 11

Several weeks had passed since Jack and Elsa's last date at the Metropolitan Opera House. The first of November had come and gone and they were closer to Thanksgiving at that point. The leaves had all turned and fallen, leaving behind gnarled hibernating branches. However, the growing relationship between the two was thriving in the chilly weather of New York City.

No longer shy and uncertain, Elsa openly expressed herself around Jack. He accepted her with open arms and returned each gesture of kindness with one of his own.

Finding time to spend with one another was challenging though, as the renovations to The North Pole were in full swing. The interior had been gutted and all that was left was a skeleton of what remained as new support beams were put in. Dry wall was covering half of the would-be walls and insulation was stuffed into every nook and cranny.

Elsa 'assisted' as best as she could to avoid spending any amount of time with Pitch, much to the dark man's chagrin. He made it far too easy most of the time, as the moment he spotted North he went on his way.

One more month and the renovations would be complete and Elsa would never have to deal with the Englishman again. One more month and she could be known as a dance instructor and not a burlesque dancer. Her dream was so close to coming true that it was tangible.

But, as stated earlier, spending time with Jack had been difficult. The renovations had taken up a good portion of his time and they were hard-pressed to not be discovered by Pitch. Still, they exchange furtive glances and endearing smiles at one another in passing. Jack had also taken to stealing light touches that sent Elsa's heart into a wild frenzy. She wondered more than once if he knew the effect that he had on her. He must know how he made her feel, because she had no longer been able to hide it. She was looking at him with such soft eyes and giving him such sweet smiles.

Jack was not blind to Elsa's change in mood and he could not be happier. She was opening up herself to him more and more each day and he coveted her tenderness and affection. He made sure to give as good as he got, stealing light touches at the small of her back and around her waist in an attempt to spur her encouragements further. He had nearly been caught several times by the Englishman and each time Elsa withdrew from him slightly in fear.

Not much longer and they could openly express their love for one another. Not much longer and they could truly be together.

At that moment, the two had snuck off together, enjoying the light of day as they walked hand in hand through the city. Elsa had grown fond of Jack's spontaneity and was always along for the ride. She would follow him to the end of the world if he would let her…

Elsa's heart picked up its tempo at that thought and she knew it to be true. She had fallen hard for Jack in the short time that they had known one another and she was not afraid of it. She wasn't fearful of a rejection or being left alone. She knew that she would always have Jack by her side and that soothed her jaded heart more thoroughly than anything else.

Jack had grown accustom to Elsa's presence. She was a permanent feature in his life and the very idea made him smile happily. She had accepted his love and was drinking it in each day. He would continue to lavish it upon her as long as she would have him and even after she got fed up with his antics. He loved her more than he thought even possible and it continued to grow with each passing day. This was real. This was what love was meant to be, he just knew it.

Jack grinned to himself as he continued to lead Elsa in the direction of Bryant Park. He had a day of nothing but fun filled activities for them to participate in and he could hardly keep his own secret with the excitement he was feeling.

Elsa had learned to not ask what he was planning. Jack would never tell her anyways. He loved to see the reaction on her face upon seeing the surprise more than he liked her begging for clues.

"Care to take a guess?" he smiled widely at her.

"What do I get if I guess right?" she bartered, knowing how Jack operated with his little tricks.

"What would you like?" he smirked, wagging his eyebrows at her.

Elsa blushed sweetly.

It had been two weeks since he had kissed her and left her breathless at her door. She couldn't deny that she had thought about it on more than one occasion, but she could withhold that information from Jack. He certainly didn't need a bigger ego than he already had.

"How 'bout this? If you win, you can do whatever you want to me," he smirked as he noticed the blush intensifying on her cheeks.

"And if I'm wrong?" Elsa responded shyly, glancing at Jack out of the corner of her eye.

His smirk became predatory as he leaned in to Elsa's ear, "I get to do anything I want to you," he whispered almost seductively.

Elsa could feel her ears and neck turning red along with her cheeks as she took a shy step away from Jack while they walked, but he just tugged her back to his side with his hand on hers. The deal was tempting. She weighed her options while her heart hammered restlessly in her chest.

Jack grinned to himself as he watched Elsa's mental debate out of the corner of his eye. He became emboldened by her shyness and released her hand to wrap his arm around her waist and draw her even closer to his side. The fact that she didn't resist him spurred him further as he bent back down to whisper into her ear.

"Just think of the possibilities."

Elsa nudged him in the ribs lightly, but made no attempt to pull away from their closeness. Jack was on cloud nine as he drank in the warmth of her petite little body.

"Ok," she conceded to Jack's utter astonishment, "but on one condition."

"You and your conditions," he muttered jokingly.

"Anything either of us wants for one minute only," she answered with a smile.

"Five," Jack bartered.

"Three."

"Deal."

"Oh, you lost, I would have gone as high as four minutes," Elsa teased cutely and Jack glared playfully at her.

"When will the debt be collected?" she asked, taking notice of her surroundings in the hopes of making her guess more accurate.

"Whenever we want," Jack grinned.

Elsa accepted his answer with a nod and proceeded to think hard about the possibilities. It was cold out, but not windy, and they were both bundled up comfortably. The temperature didn't seem to bother either of them and they didn't seem to be heading to any sort of store as Bryant Park came into view. Walking alone wasn't much of a date, so there needed to be some sort of activity involved. What could they do in Bryant Park at this time of the year?

A knowing smile came to Elsa's face and Jack feared that this challenge had been too easy for her.

"Ice skating." Elsa asked timidly.

"I'm sorry, you must answer the question in the form of a question," Jack teased, feeling a sense of disappointment wash over him as he wouldn't be able to do whatever he wanted to Elsa for three minutes. He had had such high hopes…

"What is, ice skating, Alex?" Elsa rephrased and beamed at the defeated smile on Jack's face.

"Correct," he conceded.

"I got one right for once!"

"This isn't any fun. I had so much I wanted to do to you…" he grumbled, noticing the heated blush that overtook Elsa's cheeks again with a satisfied expression.

Feeling emboldened, Jack pressed Elsa up against the nearest tree and leaned in until his mouth was mere inches from her own. He delighted in the startled gasp and her wide eyes as he murmured out quietly, "So, Elsa, what do you want to do to me?"

Elsa gulped back nervously at Jack's nearness and almost closed her eyes in the hopes that he would kiss her, but she remained as composed as possible. She smiled sweetly at him and murmured back against his lips, "That's for me to know and you to find out."

Jack grinned wickedly at her antics. She had taken a page from his book and sought to tease him and maybe even best him at his own game. She was a clever one as she looked up into his eyes expectantly, and if Jack were a more impatient person he would have succumbed to kissing her breathless, but he was going to tease right back.

Elsa smirked as Jack backed away slowly. He was going to endure her playfulness as she had endured his. He would have to wait for her to claim her three minutes and he was going to have to squirm in anticipation of what exactly she would do.

The rink was only slightly crowded at that time of day. Children and adults alike were enjoying the winter pastime with great smiles and excitement. After paying for their skates, the pair took to the ice with incredible ease, weaving in and out of the less experienced individuals and drawing the attention of kids as they went.

"I didn't know you knew how to skate," Elsa smiled appreciatively as Jack turned to skate backwards, his eyes taking her in with satisfaction.

"There was a little lake just a few miles away from my house that my sister and I used to skate on," Jack supplied by way of answer, his expression becoming somewhat melancholic as he spoke of his sibling.

Elsa was feeling brave as she asked, "Would you mind if I asked what happened to her?"

Jack's expression was surprised. He had not expected for her to be this courageous. He appreciated her interest in his family and turned back around to skate with ease beside her. After a moment to gather his thoughts he began to tell her his sad story

"It was actually my fault," Jack began, not making eye contact with Elsa as they continued to make their way around the rink, "I should've kept a closer eye on her. We lived out along a busy road. She was eight. We were playing soccer…" his story was a jumble of statements and Elsa knew that he was uneasy as he continued, "I didn't see the car until it was too late…"

He seemed to be on the verge of tears and Elsa felt terrible for asking, "I'm so sorry, Jack."

"No, no it's alright," he assured, "I came to terms with her death a long time ago. It still hurts, but it's in the past and she wouldn't want me to be sad. She loved me most when I was happy."

Elsa smiled sadly, "My sister, and my parents, they all died in car accidents too."

Jack looked at her with another expression of surprise. He had not expected her to open up so much to him. She had always been guarded and reserved. She seemed to want to keep her past from everyone and for her to open up to him like she was hit somewhere deep down in his belly. She trusted him…

"My sister encouraged me to dance," she supplied as she gazed down thoughtfully at the ice at her feet, "I had almost made it through Juilliard when she was killed. After that, I just couldn't go on. She was all that I had left after our parents had died and I was alone," she fought back hard against her tears, "They still haven't found the culprit and, at this point, I doubt that they ever will."

Elsa's gaze fell upon Jack's face as he looked at her with an expression of consternation. Taking in a steadying breath, she continued, "I can't presume to know exactly how you feel, Jack," she began, "but I may understand, more than others, what you went through and what you're going through now."

Jack smiled softly, understanding her and now knowing more about her than he had previously thought possible. He had made it through her walls and to the beautiful woman behind them and he would not let her go, ever.

The rest of the day was spent enjoying the weather and the company of their companion. As the sun began to set, a chill settled over the city and urged them back to The North Pole where they both stood outside Elsa's loft door.

She wrung her fingers together nervously as she glanced up shyly at Jack.

"You want to claim your prize now don't you?" he grinned knowingly, his heart picking up a swift beat at the possibilities.

What would she do to him, with him, for three minutes? At that moment, it didn't seem nearly long enough for Jack and he wished he had convinced her to go with five minutes. He would just have to remain firm next time.

Elsa nodded wordlessly as she hesitated. She didn't want anything extreme, she just wanted to study him for a little while, but she didn't know how to say it so it didn't sound weird or creepy. She just wanted to look at him…

"Do I have to tell you or can I just do it?" she asked nervously, almost resenting his smug smile, almost.

"Nah, I guess not. Just let me know when I should start the timer," he winked at her, his grin growing wider as she rolled her eyes at him.

"Ok, now," she instructed, and Jack began to count in his head before his mind went completely blank.

Elsa lifted up her hands to his face, brushing her cool fingertips over his cheeks and his brow. Her eyes studied his every feature without actually meeting his enrapt gaze. She swept the tips of her fingers across his lips and Jack couldn't help but shudder at the intimate contact. Elsa just continued to observe him. Her fingers played along his jaw line, his neck, his collar bone, before sweeping back up to sift through his snow white hair. Her nails grazed at his scalp lightly and his eyes fluttered shut as a tremble quaked through his limbs. He went limp as he leaned into her touch and he could hear her breath out a short soft laugh. Her fingers left his scalp to travel along the back of his neck and over his shoulders before wandering down his chest. She stepped him back into her door, only two steps.

Jack leaned into it willingly, opening up his eyes just barley to look down at Elsa as she kept her hands against his chest. She still did not meet his gaze as she tilted her head to the side curiously. Another second and she pressed her ear to his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. She was listening to the sound of his heartbeat. He heard her breath out a deep sigh and continued to stay still as she examined him. Her hands splayed out against his back and traveled down the length of his hoodie before stealing underneath.

Jack's eyes widened as her cool fingertips stroked against his bare flesh and he could feel himself begin to stiffen eagerly. Those three minutes were going to need to end soon or he was going to end up taking advantage of the situation. He clenched his jaw shut and tilted his head back slowly as he let out a shuddered breath through his nose.

This seemed to alert Elsa to his state of mind as she withdrew from him with an unreadable expression.

Jack panted out against her door, his eyes meeting hers and holding them for another long minute. Once he had calmed himself, he reached out a hand to her and she took it willingly. With his newfound leverage he pulled her body flush against his and kissed her.

Elsa was not surprised by his actions as she wrapped her arms around his waist once again and kissed him back eagerly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed that. Please comment or leave a kudo!


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Another two weeks later and the construction at The North Pole was finally complete. All that truly remains to be accomplished was ordering furniture and fixtures. The dance floor was a pristine hardwood and shone with a beautiful gloss. Mirrors lined the walls aside from a single side that was all windows looking in on the waiting room. This was situated where the bar once stood. Once exiting into the waiting room, a long hall lead around the dance floor to the reception desk and the exit.

To Elsa, it was a veritable work of art. Nothing in this world could compare to the magnificence of this studio. And she had only one person to thank for it: Jack.

She had not thought it possible to get any closer to the enigmatic man, but she had. Over the past two weeks, as constructions were being wrapped up, after their ice skating date and her claiming her prize, after the second kiss that they shared outside of her door, she had grown inexorably close to him. It seemed at that point it had been inevitable that she would fall for the carefree man. Love at first sight no longer seemed so farfetched.

Elsa found her heart fluttering every time she laid eyes upon his form and the knowing, self-assured looks that he gave her did not make the pounding any less evident. However, they had not moved beyond gentle, explorative kisses or shy, tender touches. Elsa suspected that Jack was following her lead and each day she appreciated that more and more. She just wasn't quite ready to take that next step. She didn't know what she was waiting for.

Jack had proven his love to her time and time again, pursuing her relentlessly, enticing her curiosity, holding back his ardent touches and feverish kisses for something more comforting and gentle. He knew her better than anyone ever would. He was able to read the signs her body gave off and he didn't need her words to know what she was thinking and feeling. It was exciting and unnerving at the same time to know that he was aware of her feelings and she wondered how much longer he could wait for her to give in to him physically.

Elsa paced around the dance floor, her bare feet memorizing the texture with every step she took. It was a masterpiece and it made her breath catch in her throat as she realized her dream was truly becoming a reality. She found herself striding over to the sound system, eager to practice something new, excited to express her feelings with the movement of her body.

The soothing yet haunting tunes of The XX Angels billowed throughout the room and the sound filled Elsa up. Her form moved through the paces, limbs gracefully moving along with the lulling sound of the music. The lyrics expressed words that she was still too shy to speak.

Jack took notice of the sound of music being played from North's office. He had thought himself to be the only one present at the time as he went over potential furniture to purchase for the studio. The catalogues were long forgotten as Jack exited the office in search of who he knew to be there. The ghostly lyrics, speaking with sweetness, caressed his auditory senses and Jack found himself drawn to the anticipated presence of Elsa.

' _And everyday_  
I'm learning about you  
The things that no one else sees  
And the end comes too soon  
Like dreaming of angels'

Elsa's figure moved and flowed through the song. Her very essence resonating with the movements she made and the lyrics sung. Jack watched with rapt fascination. She was truly an amazing woman, talented, strong and driven. How was it that no other man had taken her away? How was it that she was not already the success that she was working so hard to become? This confused him, but he would continue to help her to achieve her goals. That was what he wanted for the rest of his life…

' _And leaving without them  
And leaving without them'_

' _Being as in love with you as I am_  
Being as in love with you as I am  
Being as in love with you as I am  
Being as in love, love, love  
Love, love, love  
Love, love, love'

Being the only one present, Jack felt as if she were dancing for him and the haunting meaning of the song was not lost on him. Could she ever possibly understand the hold that she had on him? Could she ever accept the heart that he was holding out to her every day? He wished that she would ardently. Day by day, loving her as deeply as he did and not knowing if these feeling would be fully reciprocated was becoming difficult.

' _And with words unspoken  
A silent devotion  
I know you know what I mean  
And the end is unknown  
But I think I'm ready  
As long as you're with me'  
_  
 _'Being as in love with you as I am_  
Being as in love with you as I am  
Being as in love with you as I am  
Being as in love, love, love'

At that very moment, Jack just knew. He knew that she was his and he was hers.

The song came to an end and Elsa smiled happily to herself. Those lyrics held so much meaning to her. She truly wished she could express this to Jack. Her expression became slightly somber as she moved to turn off the CD that she had set to play. Her movements came to a halt as she took notice of Jack watching her. She was only slightly startled, but happier than anything, to see him there.

"Jack," she called to him with an elated smile.

He seemed to have been in a trance as he twitched back into alertness with Elsa's approach. His eyes lit up and his smile broadened into a grin as she came to stand before him, "Man Elsa," he began in an almost breathless tone, "you are something else."

There was something there that Elsa noticed, something that Jack just wasn't capable of hiding quickly enough: a sadness that seemed to reach out to her and draw her in. What was she doing to him? How was it that she could make him wait for her like this? She knew how she felt! She knew that she loved him with every fiber of her being and yet she still held him at bay.

With a newfound resolution, Elsa reached out for his hands as the next track began to play, "Dance with me?" she asked sweetly, an expression bordering on apologetic on her face.

Jack looked at her skeptically, the sadness now hidden behind the guise of a goofy smile, "I don't know, Elsa. I'm not that good," he practically blushed with embarrassment, "I've got two left feet."

"Oh, come on, Jack," Elsa insisted as she took his hands into hers and wrapped one about her shoulder blades and held the other in the air along with her own, "I wouldn't be much of a choreographer if I couldn't teach you how to dance."

"You've got a point there," he grinned as he drew her body flush against his own with the arm he had around her upper back.

Elsa found herself blushing as he pressed to her intimately. She could feel every contour of his body melded to hers and a heat ignited somewhere she hadn't felt it for quite some time. A single moment was drawn out for what felt like an eternity as she looked into Jack's icy blue gaze. The ardent longing he felt for her was as plain as day and Elsa found herself inhaling sharply before taking a single step back.

"That is bad for," she asserted, wearing her self-control like a shield, but for what?

Why was she still holding back?

Jack smiled mischievously as she instructed him to keep his arm tight while it held hers aloft. Her own arm came to rest atop his other that braced between her shoulder blades. With a dramatic tilt of her head, Elsa began to explain the steps to him, wherein he completely lost track a moment later. He couldn't help but chuckle as Elsa pouted sweetly at him.

"I told you I was no good," he cajoled.

"I think you are intentionally being difficult," she accused.

"Guilty," he confessed to an indignant sound from Elsa, "Come on, can't we just dance high school style?"

Elsa shook her head with a soft laugh as he pulled her closer to his body. His left hand held hers to his front and his right settled into the small of her back as he stepped around awkwardly in a circle with Elsa following his lead.

Elsa could not hold back her smile as she leaned her ear to press into his chest. The soothing sound of Jack's heartbeat made her sigh contentedly. She hadn't listened to it since that night two weeks ago and even then it had the same effect. It made her want to get closer…

"I love the sound of your heartbeat, Jack," she confessed on a whisper, not knowing the effect that it would have on him.

That was his breaking point. He would have to withdraw from her or risk moving too quickly for her liking. He was loath to do it, but it was a necessary evil. He did not want to lose her to his impatience. With a shuddering breath, he placed his hands on her shoulders and stepped back to hold her at arm's length. Elsa's curious expression sought out an explanation.

Jack chuckled roughly, his throat closing up against the urge to kiss her and smother her with his love, "I'm sorry, but," he began weakly, unable to meet her inquisitive gaze, "Would you like to look over some furniture options?"

Elsa was taken aback. He wanted to look at furniture?! But then she took notice of his clenched jaw and the white knuckles of his hands. He was restraining himself… Elsa's heart throbbed and she felt a nervous weight in her belly. He wanted her so badly, but he was willing to resist for her comfort. Elsa's decision was finally made.

"Sure," she answered in a soft tone, taking notice of the deflation of Jack's person, "let's go look at them upstairs."

His eyes shot open to look at her with amazement before an eager smile overwhelmed his features, "Are you sure?"

The only answer Elsa gave him was to take his hand and lead him to her room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I know it's short, but it leads well into the next chapter I think.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Once the door was closed behind them, the roles switched. Now given the permission he had been craving so desperately, Jack took charge. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, drawing her in close to his front as he breathed against her ear. He could feel her trembling against him and strove to take his time. He wanted to make love to her, not overpower her.

He asked again, "Are you sure, Elsa?" as he kissed the skin connecting her shoulder to neck, "I won't ask you again after this. I'm going to make love to you if you say yes."

His words excited her further, sending a deep throb through her belly and between her legs. This was right. She knew it. Being with Jack, him holding her like he was, feeling the overwhelming emotions that he was emitting through a simple embrace, was so very right.

Her voice was soft and breathless as she whispered out into the silence of her loft, "Yes."

"Yes, what?" Jack insisted, pressing his hips against her bottom to allow her to feel his growing hardness.

"I want you to make love to me, Jack," she let out on another rushed breath, her cheeks tinted pink with shyness and embarrassment.

Jack's body throbbed with excitement as he received her consent. He was feeling too eager. He needed to calm himself. He kissed at her neck, trailing his lips up to just behind her ear. Once there he breathed out, "Take off your clothes, Elsa."

He released her to allow her to complete the task he had assigned and watched as she stepped toward her bed while shedding her clothing shyly. She did not glance back until she was fully revealed to Jack's eager eyes. Sitting on her mattress, she dared a nervous glance at him and could not prevent her eyes from tracing the lines of his body.

He was lithe and strong and she glanced lean muscle moving over tight skin as he came to stand before her as bare and vulnerable as she was. A momentary sense of nervousness came over her before she urged it away.

She lay bare before him, a look of consternation and embarrassment marring her beautiful, pale features along with a dark pink blush across the bridge of her nose and cheeks. She was positively stunning and restraining himself at that moment was very difficult.

She made to cover her soft pale breasts as she pressed her legs shut, attempting to hide away from his scrutinizing gaze and Jack chided her gently.

"Please, don't," he whispered out reverently as his hand grazed the silky smooth skin of her right thigh, "you are so beautiful. Why would you want to hide from me?"

Elsa couldn't answer as her heart hammered around wildly in her throat. She was speechless and feeling utterly shy and timid. Jack was just as bare as her and seemed to be in no rush to consummate their love.

This was very different from any other man that she had been with intimately. They had only wanted her body for themselves and had left her almost as soon as they had had her. Her personality had always been cold and reserved, and for her to allow someone in had always been excruciatingly difficult. When she did let someone in, she loved them. She could have only assumed that her love was just so overwhelming when released it seemed to scare away her lovers…

She had done every conceivable thing to make Jack forget her… She had pushed him aside, ignored him, overwhelmed him with all of the emotions that she could summon, told him of her sordid past and the men that had used her, bared herself to him emotionally, in the hopes that he would see how ugly and twisted she was inside, but there he stood before her…

His eyes flitted along the curves of her body, seeming to not know where to focus as if he were a kid in a candy store. Elsa could feel the blush of her cheeks spreading to the tips of her ears and down to her neck and chest. Why wouldn't he move?

Her body picked up a gradual tremor as his opposing hand came up to caress her other thigh tenderly.

"Are you scared?" he asked her, his eyes darting to hers in uncertain askance.

"No, not scared," she answered, "just nervous…" she trailed off at the admittance.

A warm gentle smile passed over his lips as his ice blue eyes gleamed with humor. He made to spread her open and Elsa gasped out, startled, as he succeeded. He moved slowly and deliberately, watching her every expression as he came to press his hips between her thighs.

Elsa closed her eyes against the welcome intrusion. She was nervous; she had never cared so much about one man as she did Jack. He had made his way over her walls and barriers and did not run in fear at what he saw behind them. He seemed to be a constant presence in her life and she couldn't fathom what she would do without him. If he left her, she felt she would simply fall apart never to be put back together again. She knew that he was aware of this and yet he was still here.

His hands slid up her thighs, thumbs dipping into what little space was present between his hips and her center to brush them gently along her petal soft flesh, before coming to a steady halt sprawled out over her hip bones and lower belly. His hands were big, seeming to cover all of her skin at once.

Jack took in a deep steadying breath as he continued to take in Elsa's lithe, beautiful form. She was so delicately pale and seemed so pure under his scrutiny, but he knew that she wasn't. He knew every minute flaw about this wondrous creature before him, and yet he still wanted her more than he wanted to breathe air. She was a staple in his life. She was his anchor to this world and he would not let her out of his sight ever. No force on hell, heaven, or earth could take her away from him. If an attempt was made to steal her away he would never stop searching for her, for she was the piece that he had been missing for so very very long. She completed him and he could only hope that he completed her in the very same way, because after this, after the intimacy they were going to inevitably share this night, he was never going to let her leave him.

His hands continued on a slow unhurried journey up the length of her sinuous stomach to grasp gently at her wrists, still guarding her breasts. With little resistance received, he pulled her hands away and placed them in one of his hands to hold above her head, spreading her completely bare before him. He delighted in the uncertain, shy look in her eyes before he dipped his head slowly to the hollow of her neck. Once there he inhaled slowly and deeply and thrilled at the shiver his actions elicited. She smelled like nothing he had ever experienced before. It was like breathing in the cleanest breath of air one ever could. It was like breathing in the very essence of nature and he exhaled slowly and hotly along the swell of her breasts.

Elsa could not suppress her trembling. She was so utterly nervous and tense that she just could not breathe, but the slow gradual motions that Jack moved with eased her uncertainty immensely. He was making love to her and he wasn't even inside of her yet. He was making her burn slowly with need and want and desire.

"I want to make you feel, Elsa," he murmured against her collarbone, his hair tickling her neck gently as his free hand gripped tightly at her left hip, "I want you to feel everything."

Elsa trembled uncontrollably as her hands squeezed together tightly where Jack continued to hold her wrists above her head. Her back arched minimally as she felt his hot breath against the peak of her left breast. Oh how she wanted him to put his mouth on her…

Jack reveled in the minute movement that he felt from Elsa. She was like a charged livewire filled with so much pent-up energy that she was ready to burst. He made it his goal to make her lose control of herself and surrender to him and the sensations he could make her experience. With this resolution, his right hand traveled from her hip to caress the swell underneath her left breast with the pad of his thumb. She closed her eyes tightly at this, her brow furrowing in what he deemed to be concentration as she tilted her head back and tugged lightly at the hold he had on her wrists.

Elsa wished so much that she could just stop the trembling of her body. The very act alone showed her lack of self-control and revealed something about her that was timid and guarded. The way that Jack made her feel just couldn't be explained with words. There was a charge of electricity between them, and with every sure, slow stoke of his hand upon her skin a jolt reached her center. She wanted so badly for him to move quickly, to consume her body in a frenzied fashion that she was much more accustom to. This slow, languid, unhurried exploring of her body was agonizing.

"Please," she whimpered out, resenting herself for resorting to begging, but the heat between her thighs was molten and the clenching in her lower stomach was maddening!

"Please what?" he murmured against her skin, his thumb stroking the swell of her breast again.

She whimpered and let out a strangled moan as her hips rose up off of the bed a fraction, seeking whatever friction she could attain. She knew that he had spotted it though as his icy blue eyes lifted from her skin to bore deeply into hers.

She clenched her jaw shut and tilted her head back again, away from his demanding eyes. She could feel tears of frustration beginning to build up as she let out a shuddering breath in an attempt to calm herself.

Jack watched as the last vestiges of her self-control lingered valiantly. She was on the very precipice of losing herself to the sensations she was experiencing and he wanted so badly to push her over that edge. He wanted to make her feel everything….

Not expecting an answer from his stubborn lover, he moved down her body slowly, still maintaining his hold on her wrists. His mouth came to hover over the underside of her left breast and with slow measured movements he nipped the skin and marveled at the reaction.

Elsa could not restrain the guttural moan that was released as Jack nipped at the skin under her breast. The very act sent a stinging jolt throughout all of her limbs and came to burn deeply in the pit of her lower belly. She could feel her insides clench tantalizingly at the act and panted out restlessly as Jack lifted up to gaze at her once again.

"Please what, Elsa?" he insisted, his right hand grazing gentle fingers along her ribcage.

Elsa's skin jumped at the tickling sensation that sent another jolt to her core. He was torturing her and she just couldn't take much more... She bit her lip in a last ditch effort to restrain her surrender.

Why couldn't she just let go? It was something that she had wondered about herself since meeting Jack. It was as if she would be giving up a piece of herself if she allowed him to fully possess her heart body and soul. This would be one of the most meaningful moments in her life and she found that she was scared… She was afraid that he would leave her like everyone else… Sure her family had no control over it. Her parents had died in a car crash and her sister as well many years later. But all of the men she had been with and the friends that she had, eventually they all left her…

She looked down at Jack with an expression of helplessness and could no longer hold back the tears.

"I will never leave you, Elsa,"

It was as if he read her mind…

All at once the trembling stopped… A loud exhale of a breath that she hadn't known she had been holding could be heard reverberating throughout the room. Her eyes took in his resolute expression and a new surge of tears came, these tears of happiness and relief. She believed him…she believed that he would always be with her and that he would always love her just as she would always love him.

"Please put your mouth on me," she breathed out, delighting at the heat that her words ignited in his eyes.

Jack obliged her, his tongue coming out to snake up her tight stomach and he thrilled at the gasp he heard from her. He was not ignorant of his own state of desire as he pressed himself against her folds, the length of his shaft rubbing up and down along her and becoming sleek with her eagerness. She was drenched and he could feel a groan of delight churning in his chest at the very thought that it was he who had caused this.

Continuing to hold her wrists aloft, he allowed the palm of his hand to gently graze over the pebble of her nipple and shivered at the telling sigh. His mouth journeyed slowly between the valley of her breasts to brush delicately against her collar bone. The answering movement of her restless hips nearly undid him. With barley restrained motions he made to steady her hips from further movement with both of his hands.

"I want to make you feel, Elsa," he repeated, his voice deep and gravely.

Elsa gazed at him through hooded eyes, her now free hands coming to caress her own breast mindlessly, seeking to do something to alleviate the tension in her belly. She watched as his eyes widened excitedly before closing tightly in another attempt to restrain himself.

Jack panted impatiently as he tried to calm himself, wanting to take everything slow and enjoy every single touch and caress. Elsa was making this very difficult though as her hips squirmed to move against his shaft and her hands played lazily with her breast. She was the most stunning creature he had ever seen and he was hard pressed to contain his human urges…

Gaining some minor semblance of control again, he opened his eyes to take in the sight of her. Her hair was pale, long, and white blond as it lay out along the comforter beneath her. Her crystal clear blue eyes gazed back at him through hooded lids as they implored him wordlessly to touch her delectable body. Her hands continued to grasp at her full creamy white breasts as her thumbs pulled across her petite nipples. Her stomach seemed to quiver with need as her hips struggled to gain leverage against his restraining gasp. Her mound was shaven bare and he bit back a groan at the sight. Her creamy white thighs pressed firmly against his hips, drawing him in closer in askance.

He could no longer be patient, but he could still maintain the slow pace…

Elsa watched as he grasped a hold of himself, his length impressive as he pressed the head of his cock to the folds of her entrance. Anticipation built quickly as he slid his tip up and down along her entrance, sleeking himself up further with her eager wetness. This action continued for what felt like forever and Elsa was on the verge of begging again.

Before she could gasp out her plea, she heard, "How does it feel?"

She looked at him agape as his eyes hooded and a satisfied smile passed his lips. She could do nothing but moan as he continued to tease her sensitive flesh and blush hotly. She panted out, struggling to press her hips forward to take him deep inside of her, but was once again restrained by his left hand on her right hip. She couldn't catch her breath, her body was on fire and her chest heaved with heavy panting as she clutched mindlessly at the sheets beneath her.

Jack gazed upon her with a satisfied smile, his eyes hooded as he watched her writhe about on the bed. The feeling of her softness against him and the sleekness that he had helped to create were what sent him forward gradually, pressing into her slowly and unhurriedly. It was all he could do not to just thrust in jaggedly. She was so tight and hot and he could feel her muscles clenching around him desperately, dragging him in deeper.

Elsa still couldn't catch her breath. She was panting heavily and the feel of his stiff flesh pressing into her at such a slow pace was maddening. She tried unsuccessful to press her hips down upon him, overly zealous to feel all of him inside of her. The act alone was pointless as both his hands restrained her hips and he continued in an unhurried manner. She could feel her back arch up off of the bed restlessly as he came to a stop.

With his hips pressed tightly to her center, he grit his jaw before murmuring out again, "How does it feel, Elsa?"

A helpless moan was all he received for his efforts as she continued to pant out against the bed, reveling in the sensation of his cock pressed so deeply inside of her. He remained still, not wanting to move an inches as he enjoyed the tight caress of her inner walls against his shaft.

Elsa almost screamed in dismay as he continued to wait, continued to move at an agonizingly slow pace. Her body was overly eager and demanding as her inner muscles clenched desperately around the length of him in a silently imploring manner.

'Please, please for the love of all that is good and holy, move…' she thought, her limbs trembling once again.

"Tell me," Jack urged softly, pressing in deeper if at all possible and rending a shout of desperation from the impatient woman beneath him.

Panting out Elsa answered as best as she could manage, "Good!" she shouted, "Oh, oh my God…" she added mindlessly, "it feels so good…" she gasped as his hand grazed across her lower belly to press a thumb rewardingly against her clit, "just please, please…move!"

With a smile and a low chuckle, Jack obliged her as he withdrew his hips slowly to press back in deeply once more. His thumb took on a lazy rotation around her clit and he watched in rapt fascination as the beautiful woman beneath him writhed and panted out helplessly between sharp gasps and long loud encouraging moans. She was quite a sight to behold.

Elsa could hardly contain the noises that she was making and she almost didn't want to. The feel of Jacks thumb along her clit was frustrating as she could feel the gradual steady tensing of her lower belly in that all too familiar sensation of a soon to be achieved release. She was approaching her finish fast and judging by the minimal little moans that Jack was allowing to escape his throat he wasn't going to be much further behind her.

Jack grit his teeth together, a muscle in his jaw jumping as he could feel Elsa tightening further around his cock. She was so close to her finish the act was almost tangible before it actually even happened. She clutched desperately at the bedspread she laid on as her hips began to jerk and quiver underneath his ministrations. Only a moment later and she was shouting her release to the heavens as the muscles around his shaft compressed and shuddered haphazardly. A few sure deep thrusts later and Jack was emptying himself inside of her with a fervent groan.


End file.
